Won't Go Home Without You

by Cheris Hodges

  “Shh,” he said. “We can’t have this discussion here.”

  “Then where, Dr. Carter? I did what you asked and what do I get? Served a family court summons.”

  “That’s good. Now Dr. Baptiste will be in the court documents. His name can be linked to your story and anything else he says will be tainted by the scandal.”

  “And what about me? My son?”

  Carter shrugged. “Kamrie, this is bigger than you. I thought you understood that.”

  “I understood that I was going to be rewarded. I understood that you were supposed to . . .” She stopped talking when two nursing assistants walked in.

  “We can finish this later, Nurse Bazal,” Dr. Carter said, then turned on his heel. As she watched him walk out of the room, she realized that she had been played and this was going to be the last time.

  * * *

  Logan watched Robin smooth cocoa butter on her shapely legs. He loved her legs and the way cocoa butter made them shine. “What?” she asked when she caught his gaze.

  “Just admiring my wife. My beautiful, brilliant wife.” Logan crossed over to her and planted a kiss on her forehead. “What are we going to do tonight, and don’t say watch HGTV.”

  “I have an idea. New Year’s Eve is a few days away. Let’s go to New Orleans and pretend we don’t have a huge court date in two weeks.”

  “As great as that sounds, do you think that’s a good idea?”

  Robin sighed. “I just want to get away from all of this. We have so much going on right now and I want to just forget for a little while.”

  Logan took her face in his hands. “And when did we start running from our problems?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But let’s get out of the house tonight. Go catch a movie or something.”

  “You and I in a dark movie theater? I like that.”

  She elbowed him in the side. “You’re a mess, Dr. Baptiste.”

  Logan laughed. “I remember the first time you called me that. I knew I was going to make it through medical school because I loved the way you sounded when you said Dr. Baptiste.”

  Robin closed her eyes as if she had been taken back to the day when they talked about their futures. Her law school dreams and his acceptance to medical school. “Yeah, I remember telling you that you’d better hope I got into law school because I was going to handle your malpractice cases after you called yourself stitching my finger when I cut it making those steak fajitas.”

  Logan reached for her hand. “Can’t even see a scar. I did a brilliant job.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Let me get dressed.”

  “Don’t let me stop you, I was enjoying the show.”

  Robin chuckled as she reached for her blue and white leggings. “Well, if you can watch, you can help. Pass me my shirt.”

  “How about no?” Logan pulled her into his arms. “You look so much better without it.”

  “I thought we were getting out of the house, doc?”

  “Seemed like a good idea when you said it at first, but now . . .” He captured her lips in a slow kiss. Robin melted against his chest and moaned as his tongue danced across her bottom lip.

  “Lo . . . gan,” she moaned.

  Before he could reply, the doorbell rang. “Damn it,” he muttered. “Are you expecting a package or something?”

  She shook her head as he dropped his arms. “And since you’re dressed, you have the honor of seeing what Liam wants.”

  “If it’s Liam, I’m going to punch him in the face,” Logan quipped as he headed for the stairs. When Logan got to the door, he was shocked to see Kamrie standing on his front steps.

  “Shit,” he muttered as he cracked the door open. “What are you doing here?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “You can’t be here. We’ll talk in court.”

  “Logan, you need to know what’s going on and . . .”

  “Leave.” He attempted to close the door and she stuck her foot inside before he could close it.

  “You need to listen to me!”

  “Logan,” Robin said from the staircase. “What the hell is going on here?”

  Robin wanted to rush to the front door and claw Kamrie’s eyes out. Why was this lying bitch at her house? She closed her eyes, took a breath, then crossed over to her husband. “Why is she here?”

  “Because I need to talk to both of you,” Kamrie said.

  “Is your attorney present? Otherwise, we don’t have anything to talk about.”

  “No? Do you know that Dr. Carter is setting you up and he’s hoping that your little lawsuit will discredit you at the hospital?”

  Logan shot Robin a look. “Should we hear her out?”

  “She should get out!” Robin exclaimed.

  “We’re all victims here,” Kamrie said.

  Robin’s body tensed. Did she really say that? “You started this with your lies.”

  She shook her head. “This is bigger than that, and if you can put aside your anger, we can fix this.”

  Robin squeezed the bridge of her nose and counted to ten. She wanted to punch her in the face. Wanted to knock her out and stomp on her as if she were the first embers of a forest fire. “You broke whatever needs to be fixed, so don’t come here acting like you’re trying to help.”

  Kamrie rolled her eyes and slapped her hand on her hip. “I’m trying to help and . . .”

  “Get the fuck out of my house!” Robin yelled. “You don’t get to start the fire and bring the water to put it out.”

  She smirked at Robin, and Logan grabbed Robin’s arm. She hadn’t realized how close she’d come to actually punching Kamrie in the face.

  “We’re going to deal with this in court,” Logan said. “There’s nothing we can do here.”

  “So, you want this to go public and you want people to put these shady puzzle pieces together and drag your name through the dirt?”

  “You know this all started when you lied about my husband being the father of your child.”

  “If that’s what you need to believe. But you saw the DNA test.”

  Robin broke free from Logan’s grasp and pushed Kamrie against the door. “I’m done being nice to this delusional bitch! You may not admit it now, but we know that DNA is a fraud.”

  “When this case goes public and Logan’s name is attached to this sexual harassment and assault, how much are you going to cry then? Are you going to walk away like you did before? Logan deserves better.”

  Robin slapped Kamrie as hard as she could and didn’t care if she left a mark or not. How long had she wanted to do this, and this tramp deserved it. Logan quickly stepped between the women.

  “Stop, stop!” he exclaimed. “This is the last thing we need.”

  A couple who had been jogging was staring at their front porch. Robin waved at them and moved away from Kamrie. “She’s not coming in this house because she won’t tell the truth and this is all her fault! There is nothing she can say or do to fix the mess she caused.”

  “What was I supposed to do when my son’s father won’t acknowledge him or help me take care of him?”

  “That’s the hill you want to die on?” Robin snapped. “You still want to pretend that Logan is . . .”

  “Robin,” Logan said quietly. “I know this is tough and the last thing we expected to be doing right now.”

  “Don’t try to handle me right now,” she growled. “I’m tired of this bitch and it’s such a coincidence that she gets served and then she wants to come here with bombshells. I’m not here for this bullshit.”

  Kamrie glared at Robin. “I ought to call the police and have you arrested for assault.”

  “Do it and I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”

  “Robin,” Logan whispered. “Please . . .”

  She whirled around and looked at him. “Don’t tell me to calm down and don’t try and make an excuse for this waste of flesh.”

  “Not going to do that, but keep in mind that there are cameras ever
ywhere and the last thing we need is to cause a scene.”

  Robin pointed at Kamrie. “She needs to go.”

  Logan nodded. “We’ll deal with this in court,” he said.

  “Fine, it’s your mistake. I was trying to help,” Kamrie said. “Dr. Carter is going to have a field day with you and I’m going to cheer for him. Stupid.”

  Robin lunged at her again, but Logan was able to hold her back. “Let her go, babe. Just let her go.”

  Once Kamrie got into her car, Robin screamed like a mythical banshee. “I’m going to pray for forgiveness, but if she falls off the face of the earth I wouldn’t cry.”

  “I know.”

  “Who does that? Who creates all of this turmoil and then claims she wants to help?” Robin pushed away from Logan and stormed inside the house. He followed her and touched her elbow.

  “Robin, baby, let’s just deal with this in court.”

  She nodded, realizing that all of those times she saw Logan and Kamrie together she was watching a woman put on a show and she almost let those lies pull her marriage apart. She had played the fool Kamrie wanted her to be. Tears of anger and disappointment filled her eyes. Logan wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

  “Babe,” he whispered.

  “I can’t . . . Let’s get out of here. We can drive to Charleston and spend a few days with Dad. I just want to get away.”

  “All right, I’ll pack a bag for us and we can get going.”

  Robin looked at her watch. “Maybe it will be smarter to leave in the morning.”

  “Whatever you want to do, I’m with it,” he said, then kissed her on the neck.

  “Great, because we’re going to the liquor store right now,” she said.

  Logan fought back his laughter because his wife was a lightweight when it came to hard liquor. If she wanted a drink, she had to be in a mood. If she wanted a stiff drink, he hoped that it would give her a little bit of peace. Seeing Kamrie had to have thrown her for a loop, but Logan didn’t want them to go back to the days when she would see her and question his love and fidelity.

  “Logan,” Robin called out, “I’m sorry I lost control.”

  “It’s all right. I mean it was bound to happen and I’m glad no blood was shed.”

  “Mine or hers?”

  “Both, actually. The last thing we need is for her to have another false allegation to throw at us.”

  Robin took a deep breath and ran her hand across her face. “I’m so tired of this shit.”

  “I know. I know.” He took her into his arms and held her as she silently cried.

  “I can’t believe I thought you would’ve been with a woman like that,” she said after her tears stopped.

  He stroked her hair. “It’s okay. We’re going to get through this. And we’re going to do it without getting drunk. Because you know you can’t handle your liquor.”

  She laughed hollowly. “But we have to get out of this house.”

  “You know what we haven’t done in years?”

  “What?”

  “The tacky lights tour. We’ve still got time before they shut them off. And we can get out of the house and think about some happy things.”

  She took his face in her hands. “You are a genius.”

  Logan brushed his lips against hers. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 24

  The next morning, Logan and Robin took the long ride to the Richardson Bed and Breakfast in Charleston. Robin had offered to drive but Logan assured her that he’d be fine driving.

  “At least I’m going to see Pops without worrying about him being ready to slap the taste out of my mouth for hurting his daughter,” Logan said as he took the keys from Robin’s hand.

  “True, and I hope Alex and Yolanda haven’t told him stories about what’s been going on here. They both have a history of stretching the truth to suit their needs.”

  Logan laughed. “Not your sisters.”

  “Whatever. There’s a reason why I’ve always been known as the peacemaker. And as quiet as it’s kept, I’m Dad’s favorite.”

  Logan laughed again. He’d heard this story from each of Robin’s sisters over the years. And Sheldon told him who his favorite was, all of them. Alex was his strong-willed daughter who knew more about business than life. He couldn’t run his company without her and he knew she’d be the one to keep the bed-and-breakfast strong for years to come. Then his other favorite was Robin, the level-headed daughter who knew what she had to do to keep the peace in the family. She knew how to calm her sisters when the fights started and got them to see things from the others’ perspectives.

  Then his other favorite was his wild card daughter, Yolanda. Her speak-first-and-think-second nature may have gotten her in trouble at times, but she was always going to live by her own rules and if anyone—family or not—tried to challenge her, there would be hell to pay.

  And finally, his baby girl, Nina, held a special place in his heart because she reminded him so much of his wife. Nina loved hard. Nina always turned a no into a yes and she was fiercely independent. Since his daughters were so different it was easy for them to be his favorites, but Sheldon was never going to tell them that.

  “Sure you are, babe,” Logan quipped as they started toward South Carolina.

  Once they arrived at the bed-and-breakfast, the sun was beginning to set on an unusually warm winter day. Robin pointed to her father’s empty parking space.

  “I wonder where he is,” she said as Logan parked the car.

  “Did you tell him that we were coming?”

  She shook her head.

  Logan shrugged. “Maybe he’s on a date.”

  “Please, you didn’t hear Alex’s head explode, did you?” Robin laughed, then shook her head. “And my phone hasn’t been dinging from text message alerts.”

  “Would you be mad if Pops was out with a woman?”

  “Do you want to start a fight with me?” Robin pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Alex.

  “What’s going on?” her sister said instead of hello.

  “Logan and I just got into town. Where’s Daddy?”

  “Why are y’all here?”

  “That’s quite the welcome, sis,” Robin quipped. “We just needed a break and . . . Where is Daddy? Logan seems to think he’s on a date.”

  Alex laughed so loudly that Robin had to move the phone away from her ear. “Daddy’s golfing.”

  Robin stuck her tongue out at her husband. “He’s playing golf.”

  “That’s what he told y’all,” Logan said with a laugh.

  “Anyway,” Robin said, returning to her conversation with Alex, “we’re in the parking lot and you need to let us in.”

  “Do I? Are you sure everything is all right?”

  “Yes,” Robin replied with a sigh. Logan gave her thigh a comforting squeeze.

  “Fine, I’m coming out.”

  Robin ended the call and she and Logan exited the car. It was about twenty degrees warmer in Charleston than it had been when they left Richmond. She took a deep breath and inhaled the salty air. “Feels good to be home,” she said.

  “Ever think about moving back?” He reached for their bags, then turned toward the ocean. “It’s warmer, your family’s here, and . . .”

  “I don’t want to think about moving back now because it’s going to feel as if we’re running.”

  “We’re not running, but haven’t we had enough stress in our lives? Coming to Charleston would kill 90 percent of it.”

  Robin was about to respond to him when she saw Alex coming their way. “We’ll talk about this later,” she said.

  Alex joined the couple and gave her sister a tight hug. “Please tell me you’re not here to throw him in the ocean and you need an alibi.”

  “I can hear you, Alex,” Logan said.

  “I know,” she said, then shrugged her shoulders. “Seriously, though, what brings you guys to town in the middle of the week?”

  “Can we go inside and have som
e coffee or something before you start with the third degree?” Robin asked.

  “Okay.”

  “Where’s Yolanda?”

  Alex shrugged again. “I think she and Charles went to Charlotte to check out the security for her new store and at Nina’s place. She’s going to be staying there while she gets the business up and running. Which, I have to say, doesn’t make sense to me. She was successful in Richmond.”

  “I was surprised when she closed the store as well,” Robin said. “She said there were too many boutiques and they were basically selling the same stuff.”

  “Yeah, but Daddy invested a lot in . . . I’m minding my business,” Alex said. “According to our younger sisters, I’m too judgmental.”

  Robin and Logan exchanged a look as Alex walked them over to the family area of the bed-and-breakfast. They walked in and headed for the seating area.

  “Whatever,” Alex said. “When I take this vacation, none of y’all better call, text, or e-mail me.”

  “The more you talk about it, the less I believe it’s going to happen,” Robin replied.

  Alex rolled her eyes. “Anyway, what are you two doing here? Just wanted to come see the ocean to ring in the new year or is there another scandal brewing?”

  “You’re not judgmental at all, Alex,” Logan quipped.

  “Maybe I was about to catch a case because that ignorant . . . We needed a break from everything. We have a court date in two weeks to disprove paternity and now she’s in the media with sexual assault allegations.”

  “What?” Alex exclaimed. “Does that woman have any morals?”

  “Clearly the answer is no. But here’s the kicker. She claims . . .”

  “Babe,” Logan said. “If Kamrie is telling the truth about anything, it’s that Dr. Carter is trying to get her to spread the lies to discredit me.”

  Robin rolled her eyes. “She is a problem and now she’s trying to act like she’s a fucking solution.” She started pacing back and forth. Logan nodded toward his wife.

  “And this is why we came to visit,” he said.

  Alex shook her head. “Bourbon tea?”

  Robin clasped her hands together and nodded. “And that is how you should greet folks. Bourbon tea is always a great hello.”