Pick Me (Wait for Me Series Book 2)

by Walters, Dawne

  “Whatever you do...go big or stay home.”

  The sisters smiled at each other. Colette sucked in her bottom lip.

  “I’ve got your back...sister,” Clair smiled.

  Colette sighed heavily, “Thanks.”

  With that, Clair left to go upstairs. What was she going to do now? Take this piece of ceramic and ask the Colonel what was in here before she opened it? The boy in the picture was clearly younger than she was. That means whatever was in this jar certainly wasn’t her mother, because Gustave was certainly evidence to the contrary.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  What to do.

  What to do.

  She heard movement upstairs and realized that it was dinner time. She looked at the picture of her mother smiling back at her. Colette laid the opened letter from tonight and the other letters that were rubber banded up and set them on the table next to the picture. She sighed heavily and turned, walking to the door. She looked around her room and realized that no matter what she did, which was still unknown, this was going to be her last night in this room. She could feel it. Walking through the door and up the stairs, she waited until everyone was settled in the dining room before she made her way in.

  One look.

  One look was all it took for Theodore Hughes to go white as a sheet when he looked at Colette walk to her chair in the dining room with the urn in her hands. Sitting down, she set the urn on the table in front of her where her plate should have been. She said nothing. She looked at no one.

  “Colette,” Bunnie said, scooping fried rice onto her plate. “Why don’t you go put your mother’s ashes back in your room and get a plate and eat.”

  Colette didn’t move.

  Bunnie put the spoon back in the bowl. “Did you hear me, young lady?” She looked pointedly at Colette now, “I said put your mother’s ashes in your room and get a plate and eat.”

  After a moment of just looking at the urn in front of her, Colette looked at Bunnie and plastered a smile on her face. “I’m not hungry step mother.”

  Bunnie waved her hand in the air, “To each his or her own. However, the dinner table isn’t the place for dead people’s ashes.”

  Clair and Lannie gasped in shock. The Colonel froze with a forkful of food enroute to his mouth. Chloe dropped her fork on her plate.

  “Good thing there isn’t a dead person in here then, huh?” Colette said, with deadpan humor.

  “Excuse me?” Bunnie asked. “Honey, we aren’t revisiting this conversation again.”

  “The question was never answered and the subject was always avoided,” Colette answered.

  Bunnie didn’t say anything back. She just resumed eating. In fact everyone at the table resumed eating while Colette sat there saying nothing. Not looking at anyone in particular. Every once in a while, Clair would catch her eye and give a faint shake of her head. It wasn’t until ten minutes later that Bunnie pushed her chair away from the table that Colette went on high alert so to speak.

  “I meant to give something to you earlier Colette. I’ll be just a moment,” Bunnie said, walking out of the dining room. Clair looked at Colette with a raised eyebrow, and Colette responded with a slight shrug.

  When Bunnie walked back in, she walked to where Colette sat and set in front of her a disk in a plastic case. It was labeled, ‘For Colette.’ Nothing else. As Bunnie sat in her chair, she rested her elbows on the edge of the table and rubbed her palms together with a slight smile on her face.

  “Is this what I think it is?” Colette asked.

  “Indeed it is,” Bunnie was smiling widely now.

  “You play a dangerous game. You know that Bunnie?” Colette smirked at her.

  “That’s not the only copy,” Bunnie shrugged and blinked slowly. “You’ll learn to play by my rules.”

  “And if I don’t like your rules?”

  “Then there are consequences. In your situation, it’ll be that young man’s career,” Bunnie said. “So think wisely before you act.”

  Colette looked contemplative for a moment before she spoke. “If you think I give one fucking shit about Gabe’s career, you are so sadly mistaken.”

  Bunnie didn’t know what to say. “Well, it doesn’t matter.”

  “It’s about to,” Colette stated.

  Bunnie breathed a quick breath in and out before she plastered a smile on her face. “Colette, there is nothing else that needs to be discussed. You had your little temper tantrum in my office. I let you sit at my dinner table with your urn. It’s time to be obedient and do as you are told. Do you understand?” Bunnie said this in an undermining tone as if Colette was just a toddler.

  “Mother,” Clair put her fork down and looked a Colette for a moment before she gave her mother her full attention, “just answer the question. Give her the answer that you gave me, or I’ll do it.” She’d already told Colette what Bunnie had told her, but Bunnie didn’t know that. She was guessing that Colette wanted to hear from the Colonel, who was just watching everyone with his bright blue eyes, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair and his hands on the table.

  Bunnie’s head swung around so fast, it was like she was on a swivel. “You say anything and I’ll make sure your inheritance from your grandparents is put in my name only. Do you understand?”

  Clair pointed at her mother. “I’m glad you mentioned that. See, I...um, I talked to grandfather last week. He said that it was put in trust so that I couldn’t touch it until I turned twenty-one. And, well...” Clair smiled sweetly and shrugged, “I am twenty-one, so I took it all out. He let me transfer it all to my account, and I transferred it to my boyfriend’s account. So, if you try to touch it? It’s all quite legally transferred, and you’ll be arrested for stealing.”

  “How dare you!” Bunnie exclaimed, slapping her hands on the table.

  “It’s my fucking money,” Clair said, loudly. “You tried to keep it from me so that I would be stuck working for you and live under your roof. What you failed to see is that I moved out. Last. Week.”

  “What! Who gave you permission?” Bunnie was stunned.

  “I am a grown woman. I don’t need permission,” Clair stated, standing now. “So what’s it going to be mother?”

  “Actually,” Colette interjected before Bunnie could say anything else. “She did say to ask the Colonel.”

  All eyes turned to Theodore Hughes who hadn’t moved from the position he was in. He wouldn’t look at anyone but Bunnie.

  “Where...is my mother?” Colette asked hesitantly.

  No response came. No movement.

  “Is she in this...this urn?”

  Again, no response, no movement. He just looked pale, like he’d seen a ghost.

  Colette lifted the urn in her right hand, hefting the weight. “The letter that came this afternoon contained a picture of my brother Gustave. He’s at least twelve or thirteen years old.”

  That made the Colonel move. He looked at Colette blinking rapidly.

  “A brother?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

  “Yes, a brother. Please, tell me...where is my mother?” she pleaded to him with her eyes.

  The Colonel swallowed hard and shook his head slowly. “Not...not in there,” he pointed to the urn.

  Colette’s whole body tensed up. Clair gasped, bringing both hands to her mouth. Lannie was whispering something unintelligible. It was Bunnie’s reaction that set Colette off.

  “Oh for heaven’s sake don’t tell me you got that bitch pregnant and left her in the hospital without getting rid of that problem!” Bunnie shrieked. “How could you do that to me! To us!”

  Everything that happened in the next moment happened, for Colette at least, in slow motion. She looked at her father who looked torn. Next, she looked at Bunnie, who was beet red with rage, hands palm down on the table. Colette’s right arm cocked back seemingly of its own accord, and the next thing Colette remembered...was seeing the urn flying forward like a football between Clair and Chloe toward the china cabinet.r />
  She heard the crash of glass, porcelain, crystal and china before Bunnie’s scream. The next thing that hit Colette was the pungent smell of smoke as the grey ash from the urn exploded throughout the room in a cloud. She could only stand there watching as everyone moved around her. Chloe jumped up and ran out of the room through the doorway to her left. Clair stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Lannie just stayed there and grabbed Colette’s hand, tears streaming down her face. Bunnie’s hands were covering her cheeks as she screamed, shaking her head from side to side and finally she looked at Colette and started to walk toward her, when Colette was gently pushed out of the way by a much larger, stronger force.

  In her way stood the Colonel. His back to her front.

  “Leave it Bunnie,” he stated, leaving no room for argument.

  “I will not! Don’t you see what she’s done?”

  He pointed to the destroyed china cabinet, “That is nothing compared to what we have done to her. Keeping her away from her mother. And now, to learn that she has a brother?” he shook his head. “No Bunnie. I won’t have it.”

  “Colonel...” she took a deep breath, “be reasonable.”

  “Enough!” He sliced his hand though the air. “It stops tonight. It’s finished.”

  Colette, Clair and Lannie watched as the Colonel lead Bunnie away from the dining room through the kitchen and upstairs.

  Clair was the first to break the silence. “I...wow. Colette.” She gave Colette a wide smile. “Congratulations. How does it feel?”

  Colette started for a moment, then had to laugh. “It uh...I’ve never heard the Colonel stand up to Bunnie before. Wonder if it’s a breakthrough.”

  That set her and Clair into giggles. The tug on her hand, brought her to the fact that Lannie was holding on to her like a lifeline.

  “You’ll be leaving soon won’t you?” Lannie started crying again.

  Colette took her in her arms, hugging her tight. “We’ll keep in touch. I’ll email everyday and you have your phone.”

  “Okay.”

  “Go on. Head on up to your room. I’d avoid Bunnie for a bit. I’ve got to pack a bag and call Carter to see if I can stay there until I can get ahold of Henri and get a flight out.” She kissed her sister on the forehead and looked her in the eyes, “Everyday. I promise.”

  Lannie gave her a watery smile. “Love you Letty.”

  “Love you too Lannie.”

  The girls looked around the dining room one more time before Colette grabbed the CD case off the table, then she and Clair made their way down to her room and Lannie headed to the second floor to her room. Colette immediately went about pulling some clothes from her dresser and closet. She pulled out her suitcase, throwing it on her bed. Clair packed up her toiletries as Colette packed her bag.

  “You sure you can stay with Carter?” Clair asked as she zipped up the makeup case she’d just packed.

  Colette smiled, this would make Carter happy. “Yeah. I’ll be okay.”

  “Well, if you can’t get a hold of him...you know the guys and I have room,” Clair smiled at her.

  “You’ll be the first I call,” Colette smiled back.

  Knock knock.

  The sisters looked at each other with confusion. That was a decidedly masculine knock. Colette walked to the door opening it wide and her breath was taken away when she saw the Colonel standing there.

  “May I come in?” he asked.

  “Um, yes...please.” Colette swept her hand to indicate for him to come in.

  He walked in and stood between his two daughters, as Colette closed the door and walked to stand in front of the bed where her suitcase was. He didn’t look nervous, just unsettled. He looked around for a moment before he sat on the edge of the chair closest to Colette and Clair. He propped his elbows on his knees and scrubbed his hands over his face a few times before he cleared his throat.

  “I’ve known for some time that Bunnie was keeping you from seeing your family in France Colette.” He looked right at her for a moment, then looked down at the floor, but his voice was clear. “I didn’t know to what extent. I knew that Amilie had to overcome whatever was ailing her before I could let you go back to her so that she could raise you. But, so many things happened when I was called TDY, and Bunnie had an open ended power of attorney. She went to town on the Richelieu’s. Restraining Orders, Gag Orders. You name it, she did it. She promised me that it was for the best, and that if I was to continue to stay in the Army and come and go, that she would not be left with you alone. It was selfish, but I couldn’t undo what she’d done easily. I know it sounds lame, but there was stuff that she’d done that I had no idea how to undo it.” He took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly before he began again.

  “I’m not going to ask for forgiveness. I don’t deserve it. Part of what Bunnie did with the paperwork is to make sure that you stayed here until you turned twenty-one or whenever Amilie’s medical bills were paid off, whichever occurred last. So, you don’t have to stay here anymore.” He looked up at her and tried to give a smile. “Don’t worry about your things. Bunnie won’t touch them. They’ll still be here untouched when you come back for them. If you need to stay, that’s fine too. She didn’t tell you that you have a trust fund of fifty thousand dollars. It’s yours. I’ll make the transfer into your account if you give me your information.” He swallowed again and licked his bottom lip. “Your problem with Sergeant Moreno won’t touch him at work. He’s a good Soldier and a great crew chief. I think that his family has a strong pull on him, but just know that whatever problems you two have....it’s a personal matter.”

  Colette gave him a smile, “Thank you.”

  He stood up and looked at Clair now. “You take care of those two young men that you are living with. Know too that I hope you are happy Clair. They are safe. It’s going to work out.” He walked up to Clair first and kissed her on top of her head, then walked over to Colette to do the same thing, then walked to the bedroom door.

  “I’ll do better if you give me a chance. And please stop calling me Colonel. I never liked it, it was something Bunnie...well, you get the idea. Father is fine.” He shrugged and tucked a hand in his pocket, “Dad would be nice, eventually.”

  Both Clair and Colette ran up to him and hugged him. His arms wrapped around his girls as tears started to run down his face. “I’m so, so sorry girls.”

  Those words set off the two of his girls to cry as well. After a few minutes, they all pulled away and wiped tears through smiles. Colette wrote down her banking information and handed her father the paper.

  “I’ll get on this right now. You’ll need it to go to France. Let me know what happens okay?”

  Colette smiled, “I will.”

  With that, he opened the door and walked through, closing it softly behind him.

  “Oh my God!” Clair exclaimed. “That was amazing.”

  Colette smiled, “It was.”

  “I’m going to scoot. If you need a place to stay...call.”

  “I’ll be okay,” Colette answered.

  The sisters hugged briefly and Clair left. Colette finished packing her bag and made sure that she had her laptop, iPod and phone chargers, then set off to pack her car. She took one last look around her room and shut off the light. Grabbing the letters and the picture of her mother from the little table, she locked the door and got in her car. She pulled to a stop in front of her house before she made the left on Abercorn to go to Carter’s and dialed him.

  It rang twice before it was picked up.

  “Hello?”

  A female voice answered. Colette pulled her phone away and looked to make sure it was Carter she’d called.

  “Um, yeah. I’m looking for Carter. Carter Taylor,” she said into the phone.

  “He’s not available right now. Can I take a message?” the woman asked pleasantly.

  Colette was baffled. He’d just said that he wanted her, but, if he wanted her, why the fuck was some woman answering his phone? What
the hell was he trying to pull? Was he being a sore loser for her picking Gabe so long ago? Did she wait too long?

  “Hello?” the woman asked.

  “Oh, um. Tell him Colette called...”

  “Colette. He said if you called to...” the woman on the phone exclaimed. Colette thought she sounded a little overly excited. Maybe it was the waitress from Mellow Mushroom.

  “It’s okay,” Colette interrupted. “Never mind. This was a huge mistake.”

  “No...wait...Colette...”