“I’ve hired security and I’ll get a bodyguard for the nanny and Lucy. Alex, be realistic here, people of fame have craziness in their lives and judges don’t keep their kids away from them.” This conversation is beginning to wear on my nerves.
“Those people live in Hollywood; this is Emerald Isle, North Carolina. You don’t read any drama from the famous author in New Bern.” Alex sits back and takes a drink from her bottle of water. “Judges out here don’t deal with fame, but they are familiar with wealthy people. Is River still staying at your house?”
These visits with Alex are quickly becoming worse than going to the dentist. “No, she’s not living with me; she has stayed over a few times. I’m beginning to wonder why you have a problem with River. I’m almost twenty-four years old; you’re acting like I should be a monk. It isn’t like I’m getting married, I’m dating someone. River is educated, has her own money, and she’s a good person. Run a background check on her if you’re so worried what the judge with think.” I study Alex’s face and it hits me. “You’ve already run a background on her, haven’t you?”
She pulls a folder out and sets it in front of me. “Of course I have, so will the other attorney. River isn’t perfect, she has a juvenile record.”
I sit back…stunned at the way this meeting is going. “She has a SEALED juvenile record, don’t we all? She shop lifted nail polish and a DVD when she was fifteen, hardly an offense worth not dating over. My friends and I stole a small fishing boat to go party on when I was fifteen. What does that tell me about River and me? It tells me, we were both fifteen years old at one time, and we lived on the edge…being suburban white kids living in a coastal community and all. River is a good person; actually, she’s amazing and I’m not breaking up with her.”
Alex’s face breaks out into a smile. “Caide, that’s exactly how you need to be…remember if they try to throw it in your face about events that happened when you were a kid, that it doesn’t matter. You’re a father, and it sounds like you’ve met someone who understands you. I didn’t know what her record said, but you did, and that means you both are being open about your past. It sounds like you really like River. Maybe, this court stuff was meant to happen, without it, you wouldn’t have met her.”
“You’re such a jerk, Alex, you had me ready to rip your head off.” We both laugh, releasing the tension in the room. “I want to see Lucy; I haven’t seen her since the day after her mom was buried. Can’t we ask the judge to grant a visit with Lucy? I’m willing to do a supervised visit, whatever it takes. I need to see her.”
I’ve been thinking about Lucy so much recently. The more time I’m with River, the clearer it becomes that Heather and I weren’t good for each other. River and I connect at a much deeper level than Heather and I ever did. We’ve gone to the beach together and partied with everyone a few times. She blends in, yet she stands out.
“Caide, I’ll check with their attorney…don’t hold your breath. These things can be tricky and their attorney is a grade A pompous jackass. I need to get out of here, but I’ll give you a call if I hear from them. By the way, your segment about chicken enchiladas was awesome! I made them last weekend, they were amazing. You should consider opening a restaurant, it would be a hit.”
I love hearing from people who’ve made one of my recipes.
“I’ve thought about it, but honestly, I make money without having to worry about the ins and outs of a business. My parents work their butt off to stay in business. There are so many chain-restaurants popping up everywhere, local places are failing left and right. I’ll stick to YouTube and Foodie Network. I hope to talk to you soon.”
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River and I are driving along highway 17 North parallel to the Carolina coast, destination unknown. We agreed we’d find a small town along the coast and spend a couple of days. My show is on hiatus for three weeks, so it leaves my days free.
I check the rearview mirror to see if Jed and one of Garrett’s guys are behind us to ward off any bad-guys.
River is content with her Kindle in her hands as she absorbs a vampire novel. She’s in a pair of khaki shorts and a yellow golf shirt. We’d agreed we’d go somewhere neither of has ever been. It’s pretty simple for me, but I don’t tell her that. Heather always wanted to fly off to the Caribbean for long weekends. She said road trips were boring and would make her back hurt.
River raises her head from reading, “Kitty Hawk is in the Outer Banks, I’ve always wanted to go there. Let me check out bed and breakfasts in the area.”
“I’ve never been to a B&B before, what is it like?”
“Well….I’ve never been to one either. I know they make you breakfast and you get a room with a theme.”
I tap the steering wheel to the beat of a My Chemical Romance song. “Theme, like the Red Room of Pain?”
The look on River’s face is priceless with her mouth gaping and her eyes wide open. “How do you know of Fifty Shades of Gray?”
“I’m primarily around women all day long who jabber about books and sex. They especially like smutty books. Becky said I should audition for Christian Gray, and the girls are always talking about the Red Room.” I’m happy to install one and learn a little BDSM with River. I smile at the thought.
“Oh, you’d make a great Christian. I’m not so sure about flogging and spankings, I wouldn’t mind some handcuffs, though.”
River Murphy has an inner freak; I’ll have to get some handcuffs. “I’ll make sure to fulfill that fantasy for you. What type of theme rooms do they have? Is it like a jungle theme and a bed up in a tree?”
She rolls her eyes at me and we laugh at the absurdity of a jungle room.
“No, Caide Palmer, there isn’t a jungle room. Typically, they are historical homes and the rooms are done in different colors with historical romantic decorations. Rooms don’t have a TV and most are pretty classy. I’ve looked at a few for a trip I want to take to California. I want to drive I-40 from the beginning in Wilmington and the end in California. I thought it would be fun to stay at bed and breakfasts only. Some of them are very pricey, but many are the same price you’d pay at a hotel, and the breakfast isn’t a box of cereal. This Bed and breakfast in Kitty Hawk is Cypress Moon Inn. The rooms look nice and remote enough that no one should find us. If you’re okay with it, I’ll call and reserve two rooms. Should I see if they have three rooms? I don’t know if the guys want to bunk up. Oh, that would be hilarious if they don’t have a room with two beds.”
“That would be pretty funny. Go ahead and get them their own room if this place has enough bedrooms. I’m getting hungry, we’ll stop to eat and tell the guys the plan. Do you have signal on your phone?” I ask.
“Oh crap, no I don’t. I did a few minutes ago, it has been coming and going throughout the drive.”
____________________________________________
Cypress Moon is a two story cottage that overlooks the Albermarle Sound. I can’t imagine anything more tranquil than a few days hiding away here. We lucked out that a wedding was cancelled and that left all of the rooms available. The innkeepers George and Lisa are gracious as we tell them why we’re traveling with bodyguards.
Lisa recognized me from my show and told me that she uses three of my recipes for her guests. I could see she wanted to ask me questions about cooking but was respectful of my vacation. If I have time I’ll see if Lisa wants to talk to me.
Our room is simple yet beautiful. One wall has multiple windows that look out to a gorgeous view of nature.
“River?”
“Caide?”
“Do you know how bad I want to ravage your exquisite body?”
“Why no I don’t, Caide Palmer.”
“Oh my little River Murphy, you drive me wild.” I’m still on my no-sex thing but it’s getting harder to follow my own rule.
“Is it a good wild or are you still making me wait for you?”
I put my hands on her shoulders and look into
her eyes. “We’re going to wait, I want this to be right and I want it to be perfect. I don’t want us to have regrets and bodyguards standing around waiting for us to be mangled. You have to believe me when I say this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
She smiles shyly and my heart pounds so hard, as though I’ve run a marathon. This girl is into me, and I’m into her. She should throw on some running shoes and run, because I’m not good for her. My baggage is heavy, can she handle it?
I shake my head, attempting to rid myself of negative thoughts.
We make eye contact…not speaking a word, but a thousand things are being said in her eyes.
I wrap my arms around her and we fall onto the bed. I trace my finger along her jaw to her chin.
“Caide?”
“Yes?” I lean my head back so I can see her better.
“I really like you and I’ll wait as long as it takes for us to know each other. I’m not going anywhere, even if my brain tells me to run.”
“Don’t run, it will pay off in the end.”
The moon is casting light along the sound and the water sparkles like a million diamonds. We take our glass of tea out onto the porch and listen to the waves as they crash along the shores. The ocean air is cool, a total contrast to the afternoon scorcher we had.
I have my arm over River’s shoulder and she has her head against my chest. The innkeeper brought us a couple of throws to use outside if we decided to take a walk along the shore. No matter how hard I tried to convince Jed to let us walk alone, he refused. We refused to have them follow us, so we camped out on the porch.
“Do you believe in angels, Caide?” River lifts her head and looks up at me.
“In a way, I do. Why?”
“I wonder what Heather would say about us being together. Sometimes, I feel like she’s the one who orchestrated this elaborate plan to have us meet. Do you think she and I would have liked each other?”
I’ve wondered this too. “I think she would have liked you before she got hooked on drugs. I don’t really know if she would as a drug addict. I like to think she’s happy that we met. Heather loved me…she loved her fix more….but she loved me nonetheless.”
“In a strange way, she did bring us together. From what you’ve told me, I think we would have been friends too. I can’t wait until I get to see you with Lucy. I bet the two of you are too stinkin’ cute together.” She snuggles her head in closer and pulls the blanket up higher.
“Kids grow so much at this stage, and I’m missing everything. When Heather was alive, she’d send me text pictures of every milestone. I have a tough time going through my photos because I remember the captions she gave them. I’m not getting any updates or anything, and it’s killing me,” I admit.
“I bet it is. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put this all behind us next month. For what it’s worth, I think you’re a great daddy. You’re a fighter and so damn sexy. I’m madly in-like with you.”
I clear my throat nervously….for a split second, I thought she was going to say she loved me. “Back atcha kid.” I kiss the top of her head and find solace in this moment. “River?”
“Uh huh?”
“Will you still like me when I have a child taking up my time?”
“I like to think I will. It will be an adjustment, but I have faith that we’ll figure things out. Will you still want to date me after she comes home?”
I pause a moment to absorb the words. This girl in my arms is the most perfect human I’ve ever known…. What would she think if I told her I’m falling in love with her? “Of course I will date you. Not to put you on the spot or anything, but would you like to go to my next parenting class? Before you answer, I’m not saying I’m looking at you to mother her…but there’s some helpful information. The next class is going over what to do in household emergencies. One of the classes will be an infant-child CPR certification.”
“Yes Caide, I’d be honored to go. You know I don’t think you’re trying to replace her mom. It will help me know what to do with a child around. I’ve never dated anyone with a child before.”
“It’s a date. Close your eyes…I want to feel your heart beating with mine.”
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Chapter Thirteen
How they clang, and clash, and roar!
What a horror they outpour
On the bosom of the palpitating air!
Yet the ear it fully knows,
By the twanging,
And the clanging,
How the danger ebbs and flows
Edgar Allan Poe
TWO DAYS LATER
“Caide! I’ve been trying to reach you for the past two days! Do not watch the news, come straight to my office,” Alex demanded.
“We had our phones off for the last few days; I had to get away from all of the madness.”
River and I decided to make it a technology-free getaway. We promised not to turn our phones on until we arrived back in Emerald Isle. When I finally turned on my phone, there were five messages from Alex to call her.
“Caide, you might want to bring River and her bodyguard with you.”
Oh shit, something serious must have happened. “You sound ominous, what aren’t you telling me?”
“Caide, just get here.”
“Hey Riv, have you turned on your phone yet?”
“Not yet, is everything okay?” She crosses the room to me, her ponytail bouncing up and down like a schoolgirl.
“I don’t know. Alex, my attorney wants us to go to her office. She said not to turn on the radio or TV, just get there. She’s never been so serious sounding, will you go with me?”
“Of course, I’m ready….let’s go.”
River is the easiest girlfriend I’ve ever had. She doesn’t complain all day, and she’s drop dead beautiful.
“Do you think the hurricane will hit us?” River asks.
Hurricane Hanna, is threatening to have a direct hit at Atlantic Beach in Morehead City which is less than fifteen miles away. The guys and I helped the innkeepers board up their house and helped move in all of the outdoor furniture. The Outer Banks will at a minimum get plummeted with rain and flooding. They’re literally a little island, and mandatory evacuation is typical for them. Garrett said he’d go drive by Lucy’s grandparent’s house for me. He’s checking to see if they evacuated or if they’re in town. Lucy is petrified of stormy weather and it pisses me off I can’t have any contact with her.
One night, around her first birthday, she came over to stay with me for a couple of days. We were having one wicked thunderstorm. Living a block from the ocean makes the storm even louder as it echoes off the water. Lucy ran in circles and was shaking her hands. I ran over to pick her up and hold her until the storm was over. We huddled up in my bed and every time it thundered, she would tremble and hold onto me tighter.
Is that why I’m infatuated with River? Is this the big storm and I’m holding onto her to keep my sanity?
The rain has been coming down steady for the past hour. Jed has his truck with him, so we ride in it to Alex’s place. Jed tells us about working during Hurricane Floyd in 1999. It was a deadly hurricane that caused damage up along the North Carolina coast. He rescued a lady and her twin babies from her car. In the aftermath of the hurricane, there was flooding and it was destructive to businesses and homes, as well as the shore.
All three of us are in the front seat of his truck. River is in the middle and I encourage her to lean into me. I have the feeling she isn’t a fan of hurricanes. I lean in so only she can hear me, “Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay.”
Garrett is going to swing by River’s house and grab her pets to bring back to my house once he’s finished checking on Lucy. Hopefully, Alex won’t keep us on a don’t watch TV or listen to the radio after our meeting.
Alex’s parking lot is empty except for her car. She looks as though she wasn’t in the office when I called her; she's dressed in jeans with a wh
ite shirt. We all follow her into her office and I make introductions for everyone. Jed has seen her a couple of times at the courthouse but hasn’t ever met her before today.
“Thank you for coming here so fast. There has been a major break in the case. Jacob has decided to take a plea deal in exchange for information about who was funding him. You might want to brace yourself Caide….Heather’s parents have been taken in for questioning. Jacob has confessed that they paid him ten thousand dollars to make Caide out to be a poor choice for Lucy to live with.” Alex sits back in her chair and waits.
My head is spinning, my airway is constricted, and I double over from the punch to the gut I just took. The anger is building quicker than I can control, everything is colored red and my rage is intense. I can’t speak, the words are too vile… I need to hit something.
“What do you mean they hired him? How in the hell did they know about River? They hired him to drug her? I wasn’t in the club with her, so how did they figure out the two of us would be there? This doesn’t make sense. Of course I think they’re pond scum, but I can’t imagine them doing this to me.” I stand up, no longer able to control the rage… I have to pace.
“Alex, you’re saying this Jacob guy was hired to roofie me and to burn down my business?” River’s voice is small and shaky, but I can’t console her right now.
I’m so mad. I wish my dad was here, he’d have the right questions to ask and the right things to say. All I want to do is cuss and hit things.
“Caide, I can tell you’re mad, I don’t blame you, but don’t forget this will pass soon enough. Let me tell you what I’ve been told, sit down, please.” Alex, always cool and collected.
“Please explain this to me, because I’m flipping out over here.” I take my chair between Jed and River.
“Jacob was hired to follow you, which he did. He is a special effects make-up artist for sci-fi movies. He followed you to Al Anon and was up as a heavy set woman on your first night.”
“Oh, I remember there being a couple of faces I’d never seen before on Caide’s first night,” River admits.
Cry Me a River PG-13 Edition Page 13
