Kacee gets out first and holds Austin’s hand as we head inside. I motion for them to follow me as we head toward the study.
“Hello, anyone here? I’m home.”
“In here, dear.”
I turn the corner to the study, my mother’s large smile disappears as she stares at the kids. She turns to my dad and sighs.
“So you found them.” My father words crash around me.
They are both staring at the kids.
“Care to explain what you mean?”
“Melissa.” My mother calls out for the maid. “Melissa, can you take the children to the kitchen and give them something to eat.”
Both kids look to me before moving. “It’s okay, go ahead. Her chocolate cake is amazing; she usually keeps it on hand.”
Austin looks excitedly to Melissa who winks and smiles at him. Kacee isn’t so easy to distract, she looks back at my parents before giving me a questioning look.
“It’s okay, I’ll be along soon. Make sure Austin doesn’t eat all the cake before I get there.”
She nods reluctantly before following Melissa out. Steeling my shoulders for battle, I sit on the couch across from my parents and stare them down without saying a word. I am not going to break first.
“How’s Brittany doing?”
“I think the better question is why don’t you look surprised to see those kids? I assume you know who they are, now tell me how long you have known about them.”
“We’ve always known about them. You were such a mess after Brittany left we hired a private investigator to find out what happened. He brought us pictures showing she was very pregnant.” Mom cowers slightly under my intense stare; she looks to Dad to finish.
“Your mother and I made a tough decision. We didn’t want you derailing your future so we pretended ignorance. I had no doubt you would get over everything after a while. I do admit it took a lot longer than we expected but it worked. You have everything you wanted and a beautiful fiancé ready to give you a family of your own.”
“That’s the root of the issue, isn’t it? I have everything you wanted but I already have a family. If you will excuse me, I’m taking my children and leaving.”
“Honey, please, stay and talk to us.”
The feelings of betrayal are overwhelming. Without looking back, I head to the kitchen and find the kids finishing up their cake.
“Thanks for the cake, Melissa. Come on, guys, it’s time to go.”
“Is everything okay, Dad?”
Melissa’s eyes bulge, at least she didn’t know about my parents’ deception either. “Everything’s fine, we’ll come back another time.”
I stomp out the door, the kids follow close behind. I don’t even look at my parents as they stare at us from the hallway.
For a minute we sit in the car. I had planned to leave the kids here while I talked to Monica but now I need a new plan. I drive to the Hilton by my office and grab a two-bedroom suite like before.
“Let’s put our bags away then go get some dinner. I need to run an errand later so you guys can rent a movie in the room while I’m gone.”
Both kids have been pretty silent since we left my parents. I feel terrible they had to go through that. I’m sure I’ll get a call from a very unhappy Brittany once she finds out about it. I text her we’re getting dinner and then turning in for the night.
As dinner goes on, the kids relax and are back in good moods. Now that everything has changed with my parents, all my plans for the weekend are out the window. I give the kids a few options and we make plans for tomorrow. I’m going to have to talk to my parents again but first I want them to think on it for a while.
Before going back to our room, we grab drinks and snacks to fill up the fridge. Anxious to get my next errand over with, I get them settled in with the movie and head to my apartment with Monica.
She’s working on her computer when I get there. My heart clenches when she hugs and kisses me. She deserves so much more than I have given her and definitely more than I can give her now that my life has completely changed.
“I’m so glad you are finally home; I didn’t think that case was ever going to end. Grab a beer and come tell me about it.” She grabs her wine glass and heads to the couch. Resigning myself to the conversation, I grab a beer and sit across from her.
“What’s wrong? You seem down.”
“When we met, I was leaving a survivors meeting. I told you about my girlfriend who I had lost.”
She leans back against the couch and folds her arms across her chest. Her body language says she already knows where this is going.
“I got a call from her mother that they were in Utah and they needed my help. I couldn’t believe she was alive; I took off to finally get the answers I’ve needed for the last sixteen years. Little did I expect she would tell me we have a daughter together.”
I look up at her face and see her eyes widen, she clearly wasn’t expecting me to say that. “Brittany, my missing girlfriend, had been wrongfully arrested and was in real trouble of going to jail. A lot happened while I was out there but we managed to get the case dismissed. You wouldn’t believe the crazy family who is running that city, they are worse than anyone we have around here.”
“Did you get to meet your daughter?”
“Yes and she is amazing. I brought her and her little brother here. I wanted them to meet my parents.”
“Is Brittany here as well?” I can see the worry in her eyes, if only she knew this was going to get worse.
“No, she stayed home.”
“You’re going back to her, aren’t you?”
It’s my turn to look surprised, she asked the question so matter-of-factly. “I have never given myself to you completely. I couldn’t, part of me had died all those years ago and I never fully healed. Being back with Brittany woke that side of me again.”
A single tear rolls down her cheek. Kneeling in front of her, I grab her hands. “I swear when I went out there it was to get answers and help her out. I know this isn’t fair to you but I have to get to know her and our daughter.”
“What about the firm?”
“I’m hoping they will agree to let me open an office for them out there. If not, I’ll open my own practice. I am so sorry to do this to you. I want you to keep the ring and do whatever you want with it. I’ll also pay off the rent for the rest of the lease. Please, tell me you don’t hate me?”
With a final swipe of tears from her cheeks, she leans forward and kisses me deeply on the lips. “I always knew I only had half of your heart. I was okay with that; you are worth it. I don’t want to lose you but I know I don’t have a choice. You have to go where you are complete. I’ll go stay at Stephanie’s this weekend so you can move your things out.”
Her fingers glide through my hair for a brief few seconds before she stands and walks to our room. Without a backward glance, she closes herself in, and that’s my cue to leave. Love is a fickle beast; it demands pain in equal measure to elation.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Brittany
My eyes won’t open, they are caked in sleep and dried up tears. At first I think the pounding is in my head, eventually I figure out someone is knocking on the door. My head throbs as I sit up, I grab the robe hanging behind the door and call out that I’m coming. Through the peephole I see a woman around my mother's age wearing a navy suit. Running my fingers through my hair, I open the door.
“Ms. Celdonio?”
“Yes?”
“My name is Leslie Sampson, Mr. Sanders’ assistant. By your look of confusion, I am guessing he didn’t tell you I was coming?”
“I’m sorry, he didn’t. Come inside, please.” She follows me to the couches. Embarrassed, I grab my dinner tray from last night and move it to the kitchenette area. “Sorry about the mess, I fell asleep right after dinner last night.”
“No need to explain.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, Casey is back in South Carolina so why are you out
here?”
“He called me a few days ago and let me know that he wants to buy a house out here. He gave me his base requirements and I’ve gathered several properties that may work. Mr. Sanders said you know the area well and you would be able to pick the perfect house.”
“He wants me to pick out his house for him?”
“Yes, ma’am, once you have a decision I will set up the contract with the realtor and he will take care of it.”
“That’s awful trusting of him.”
She smiles mischievously and shrugs. “If you are free today, I can wait in my room down the hall while you get ready? You can come get me in room 1409 when you are done.”
“Sure, give me twenty minutes.” As soon as she’s out the door, I grab my cell phone and call Casey.
He picks up on the second ring. “Oh crap, I meant to call you last night.”
“I had a visit with your assistant, she had an interesting request.”
“I’m sorry, things got a little crazy around here last night and I completely forgot to call.”
“Are the kids okay?”
“Oh yeah, sorry, the kids are great. We drove around your old neighborhood, had dinner, they rented a movie. It was great, I am really glad you agreed to let them come with me.”
“I’m glad it’s going well. Now explain why I am picking out your house for you?”
“I don’t know the area and you do. I trust your judgment and you know me well.”
That’s a lot of faith considering I haven’t seen him in years. The letters help me catch up on a lot of his life but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t changed. At least I’ll have Mrs. Sampson to help me.
“I’ll give it my best shot but I really think you should see the house before you buy it, okay?”
“If that will make you more comfortable then I will gladly go see it first.”
With a resigned groan, I mumble, “Fine, she’s waiting for me so I need to get ready. Tell the kids I love them and I want Kacee to call me later.”
“Will do but before you go, did you sleep naked in my bed last night?”
“Goodbye, Casey.” I wait till after I’ve hung up to chuckle, I don’t want him to know how adorable I think he is.
As the shower heats up, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. That is one terrible first impression I made. Hopefully the shower will do wonders for what the wine and letters did to me last night.
Twenty-five minutes later, I’m dressed and feel much more presentable. I grab Mrs. Sampson on my way down to the bakery in the lobby. We grab coffee and bagels then head to a table to review the folder in her arm.
“I tried to map out the houses as best I could. If there are any you think we should take off the table immediately, let me know and I’ll toss them. If you can help me put them in order, I’ll call the realtor and tell her which house to meet us at first.”
It only took flipping through three listings to see that he is not buying a simple home. They are all four to five bedroom houses in very affluent neighborhoods. I figure he would want Kacee and possibly Austin to stay with him sometimes but this seems excessive. And I’m not about to assume he’s thinking of me staying there. We only reconnected a couple of weeks ago and he has a lot going on back home.
Once I have a final list of houses in order, Mrs. Sampson calls the realtor and we head out. It only takes three hours to get through five houses. All of them are gorgeous and will be great for Casey. The realtor treats us to lunch before finishing up the tour with three more houses.
Exhausted and ready to sit for a while, we tell the realtor we’re going to discuss and call her soon. Back at the hotel bar, we sit down to go through each house.
“These houses are all amazing, how are we supposed to pick?”
“Mr. Sanders will be happy with anything you pick. Why don’t you start by listing what you do and don’t like about each house? I understand there will be two children staying there, take into account what they would like.”
Her list idea works perfectly, in under an hour I narrow it down to two houses.
“I can’t choose between these two, I say we let Casey see both of them and he can pick.”
“I think he will be okay with that. I’ll have the realtor set up walkthroughs for tomorrow evening when he is back in town.”
“He told me you keep him in line, I can see why he values you so much.”
“He’s a great boss. You meet a lot of sharks in our business, I’m happy to be working for one of the good guys.”
“So when do you head back to South Carolina?”
“I’ll head back in a few days; I’ll go where Mr. Sanders needs me.”
“If you’d like, I’m having dinner with a friend tonight. We can make it a group outing?”
“Don’t alter your plans for me, I’m happy to hang here.”
“Nonsense. Be ready in an hour, I’ll swing by and get you.”
“That would be lovely, thank you.”
I’m really glad Casey has had this woman in his life. I definitely think she has been good for him and lord knows he deserves some good.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Casey
“Remember I told you guys I was going to start staying in Utah with you?” I wait for both kids to nod, “I need to go to my apartment and pack up some boxes for the moving company. Is it okay if we get that done before we go out for the day?”
“Sure, we want to help, too, if it means you get to come out sooner.” I smile at Kacee’s blush; I am glad she seems to be adjusting well to having me in her life.
The movers are waiting for us when we get there. Everyone grabs a box and I point out what they should pack. I decide to leave everything for Monica that isn’t personal, it doesn’t take long. Sad to say my entire life fits into ten boxes.
As the movers carry the last boxes out, I see my parents coming in. Kacee gives me a look, I know she gets the gist of what is going on. I smile to reassure her everything is fine.
“Kacee, can you and Austin watch T.V. for a few minutes?” I motion my parents to follow me out on the balcony. Again, I sit and stare at them, refusing to be the first to speak.
“What are the boxes for?”
“I’m moving to Utah to be with Brittany and the kids.”
I’m surprised to see tears spring into my mother's eyes. Dad shakes his head angrily.
“Damn it, Casey, you can’t take off and leave everything behind. You’ve worked too hard to let all of this go.”
“None of it means anything if I’m not with Brittany. You let me suffer for sixteen years and you knew all this time where they were. How am I supposed to forgive you?”
My mom grabs my hand desperately, “You have to believe us. We made sure she was okay. Once we knew where she was, we hired a detective out there to send us updates and pictures. If we ever thought they needed anything, we would have helped them. They turned out great, we have been very proud watching Kacee grow up.”
“That’s great, I’m glad you got to enjoy watching my daughter grow up. You never gave me love and attention as a kid and you’ve robbed me of it as an adult.”
I know the words are hurtful but I won’t take them back, not even when my mother looks like I might as well have slapped her.
“The kids and I are flying home tomorrow morning. You can get rid of the P.I. I will send pictures.”
“Casey, please don’t do this, don’t leave like this. We’ve made mistakes, we know that. After a few years, we realized we had dug ourselves into a hole and we didn’t know how to get out. We don’t want to lose you and we want those children in our life.”
My father has been silent through this, I don’t know what he is thinking. “What about Brittany? You never gave her a chance. You wrote her off from day one.” I stare at my dad, demanding he be the one to answer.
“We were wrong about her, I’m man enough to admit that. She has done a great job getting her life together and raising our grandchild. Add her
to the list of regrets we have. We would be proud to have her as a daughter-in-law.”
I know that took a lot for my father to admit, I nod in acceptance.
“Will you introduce us? We’d like to finally meet them.”
“I will but I’m warning you now, they have never known anything but love so you will not hurt them. If you are going to be in their lives, you need to start acting like real grandparents.” I wait till both nod before taking them inside to meet their grandchildren.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Brittany
Two days in a row waking up confused and hung over is not a good thing. I get one weekend to myself and I become a raging party girl. Sitting up, I realize I had slept on the couch and after a quick sweep of the area, I see Leslie passed out on the other couch and Sharon curled up on some cushions on the ground. She’s sure going to be sore when she wakes up. With a groan I lay back and try to remember how we got here.
After dinner last night, we took our little party to a club. We danced, we laughed, we drank copious amounts of alcohol. Once Leslie got drunk, she admitted Casey told her he was breaking up with Monica this weekend. This was the final cloud that had been hanging over me, instant relief flooded me at the idea of him being available again.
Alcohol is never good during an emotionally charged time in your life. I remember with a groan that I invited both ladies back to the hotel and I spilled my guts to them. I told them about leaving him while pregnant, the letters he wrote me, the need burning deep within me to be with him.
I sit up again and look over to the coffee table. Lying there are a couple of Casey’s white undershirts. We apparently used lipstick and wrote a sign. I had to turn my head a few times till I could make out what it says, “Will you go to prom with me?”
The memory floods my mind. I pulled out the letter where Casey says he skipped prom. They thought it was as sad as I did and we all cried for him. In the sober light of day, I realize what idiots we must have looked like. Sharon reminded me that Kacee’s school prom was coming up and I should ask Casey to be my date, as a chaperone, but still we would finally be getting our prom. Apparently we liked the idea, we have the shirts to prove it.
Forever Yours, Casey Page 14
