by Fifi Flowers
“You know you have a very unhappy little lady wanting to fish?” Celeste laughed as I told her how she begged me to tell her mommy that she wanted to fish too.
As we walked along, she told me things about Veeta, including her love of fishing with the mermaid pole I held in my hand and how smart she was—too smart.
I couldn’t wait to get to know her.
It was as if Celeste was reading my mind. “We need to figure out how to tell Veeta once we hear what they found out... We could ease her into getting to know you, but... I don’t want her to think I was keeping things from her. Maybe we pull off the bandage fast and see what she says...”
I let Celeste rattle off a few different scenarios and decided that she knew her child better than anyone and would come up with the right thing to do. I was just happy to have both of them in my life and hoped that they liked...loved the plan I had come up with. I, also, hoped that I hadn’t jumped the gun, making plans without asking her... I could always find a way out if it didn’t work out, but I didn’t think about it negatively either.
First, we had to know what was on the microchip.
Depositing the fishing gear in a room of the barn, I grabbed Celeste with both of my hands on her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. I needed so much more. I had missed her so much when I had been traveling and meeting with the Beauclaires. I was back to tell her what I had put into motion and hoping that she loved my proposal. What had unfolded was the last thing I ever imagined.
I just wanted to pretend...to get lost in that space in time where no one else existed or mattered. I wanted to wash away everything that surrounded us. Once we walked into the house and heard the news, we would be changed forever...more than we already were after Celeste’s big reveal.
I found myself shaking my head and breaking our kiss too soon and uttering the words “we’ll make this work” against her lips before we pulled apart.
I wasn’t sure I liked how Celeste changed the subject. “We better get up to the house or Conrad will be looking for us again.” I hoped that it was nothing more than fear of what was facing us.
Holding hands, we walked into the house and found everyone parked at the dining room table: Cordelia, Henry, Conrad, Clancy, two well-groomed men wearing suits I didn’t know, and a biker dude with short hair and a full beard I recognized from my pop’s shop—who I learned was Mercer.
“This is Skeet Remington...” Celeste introduced me and I shook hands with the three men before we grabbed two empty chairs side by side.
“Good that you’re here,” Mercer said directly to me as he began to tell us about what was found on the micro-chip.
The following information was detailed on it: A birth certificate for Veeta Corday Remington that listed Celeste Corday Archer as her mother and Skeet Remington as her father. Then there were a few other documents mixed with several newspaper articles confirming arrests and deaths of two prominent families suspected of organized wrong doings. Along with everything, there were two words Coast Clear.
By the end of the meeting, I would say that we were all overwhelmed. It was almost unbelievable to hear about everything the two families were involved in—like a mafia movie. It had me wondering where the information had come from or who. The lawyers assured all of us that the documentation had come from people working in the legal field. Most likely things had been set up ahead of time since Martina had left a handwritten note for Celeste to find if anything happened to her. My main concern was that everyone—especially Celeste and Veeta—was safe and that we all could breathe freely.
“Oh. One last thing,” Mercer turned to Celeste as he was heading for the front door. “Here’s the locket for Veeta.” She reached out and took the gold chain with the dangling heart from his extended hand.
Clancy chimed in with a smile on her face. “Open it. I think you’re going to like what you see.”
With all eyes on Celeste, she opened it and tears immediately began to fall down her slightly sunburnt cheeks. After hearing her sister’s comment, I had to assume that they were happy tears flowing freely.
“It’s me holding Veeta right after she was born and... And a picture of Skeet and me when we first met.” She looked up in my direction and turned the locket to show me. “On the old green tractor your pop fixed all of the time.”
I remembered taking that picture well. It was the beginning of us. The other photo was the beginning of her time with Veeta. I looked forward to taking photos of us together... And yet, I was feeling so many emotions that I couldn’t quite process.
Sorrow. Anger. Remorse.
Chapter Nineteen
Celeste
“I’ve gotta get going too,” Skeet said as soon as we were alone in the foyer. “Walk me outside?” I nodded and followed him out the front door.
Standing on the porch together, he faced me and connected our fingers. I felt safe and unsure all at the same time. Things weren’t right and, yet, some parts were right as rain. The past had finally caught up with us and, as I thought, emotions were running wild. I felt like we had gone back to six years ago when everything fell apart. When things ended between us and I could hear his old words:
“I love you, Celeste. I will always love you. I wish I could turn back time and redo everything and make everything right. I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you... And yet, I did. I’ve got to get my life together. I need to learn to be a better man. I’m no good for you like I am...”
Similar words were coming out from between Skeet’s beautiful lips and then he broke our connected hands, taking me into his big strong arms. I breathed in his clean soapy scent mixed with leather and citrus.
It was all so familiar to me but I knew that I was the one at fault.
“I’m sorry,” escaped from my lips and then he kissed me, long and hard.
The goodnight kiss seemed more like a goodbye kiss... He didn’t forgive me. He didn’t say he’d call or see me soon... He didn’t say another word. He just broke away from me and walked to a motorcycle I recognized as his pop’s ride.
I watched him strap on a helmet, straddle his ride, bring it to life, and then ride off down our long driveway bordered with peach orchards on each side until he faded in the distance. The same as before, I felt a pit in my stomach as my chest tightened and my knees buckled, leaving me a crying crumbled mess on the front porch.
The only difference was that a different person came to my rescue.
“Mommy, mommy, are you alright?” Veeta was crouched down next to me, patting my back. Not something I wanted her to witness. I had to be strong for her no matter what happened.
Gathering myself together as quickly as possible, I wiped my eyes and pulled her into my arms. “I’m fine, baby girl.”
“I’m not a baby anymore.”
“You’ll always be my baby, Veeta. Forever.” That only made my tears fall faster, but at least she couldn’t see them as I walked into the house with her clinging to me like a little monkey.
The rest of the night was spent with my little girl. I had a feeling she sensed something wasn’t right and she never left my side. She wanted to help with everything; making dinner, setting the table, getting me water and then she asked that I bathe her—something she had been telling me that she could do alone. Of course, I never left her completely alone while she was in the bathtub, but I did allow her a bit of privacy while I flipped through a magazine while sitting across from her.
“Can I get a really long, long story tonight?” She made me smile as I tucked her into bed. She had gotten to the point where she wanted to read to me from her simple little picture books or she wanted to make up stories for me. That night she gave me the honors.
I loved every moment with her and gently kissed her soft pink, freckled cheek as she dozed off to dreamland.
I wish that I could say that I had a peaceful night like Veeta, but instead, I tossed and turned and let tears fall all night thinking about what I could do to make things right. And no s
ooner than I had fallen asleep, my alarm went off and it was time to get my little girl up and ready for school.
“You look awful,” my mother reminded me as I walked into the kitchen after dropping Veeta off at her school.
“I didn’t sleep much” was my honest and simple reply without spilling my guts, weeping on her shoulder like a blubbering baby.
“Sit down.” She pointed to a chair at the island. “Let me pour you a strong cup of coffee,” she said in a caring tone against my ear with her hand patting my arm as I did as I was told. “Toast too...”
“Peach toast makes everything better.” I finished her speech before she could.
She smiled at me. That’s right.” Then she moved around, pulling out a stainless steel toaster and all of the fixings to make me feel better. “Now! Tell me everything that has you down in the mouth.”
Where did I begin? What did I tell her that she didn’t already know? The only thing not out in the open were my feelings... and maybe I could use some advice.
“Skeet took off last night and it felt a whole lot like when he left town.”
That was the way to get things rolling. I told her about my apology and how he didn’t say a word. I waited for her to say “I told you to tell him right away,” but she let me tell her about him coming down to the dock. I told her how Conrad came to get us for the meeting which didn’t allow Skeet time to respond to anything I had told him. She knew how we had all been bombarded with so much information all at once when the lawyers and Mercer presented us with details that had my head swimming.
For Skeet, it had to be ten times worse.
“None of this has been easy on any of us from the moment Veeta entered our lives. We all sacrificed and took risks to keep her safe...” She set the heavily buttered and slathered with fresh peach jelly toast on a small plate down in front of me. “What you did was right. It could’ve been a disaster if you had told Skeet any sooner. I know I said you should’ve told him, but after hearing the details last night... I was wrong.”
She went on to explain how dangerous things could’ve been if I had reached out to Skeet. Keeping things to myself and staying mainly on the farm with Veeta was smart. I could’ve put everyone in the line of danger. No one had ever questioned where Veeta came from and I was sure that many people thought she was Skeet’s and mine. When Martina started showing, she stayed at the farm out of sight. Then when she gave birth it was in a small hospital in the middle of the night using our family’s name. And it was as if Veeta knew she was in danger too—arriving covertly.
“Veeta’s life is about to be turned upside down. I think you need to focus on her. How you’re going to tell her... Skeet will come around and he will be the best father to her.” My mother was sitting right next to me and rubbing the top of my hand resting on the marble countertop. “He just needs to get his head around all of it. He is probably feeling shitty about not being here for you. You’re not the only one feeling guilty. And if he’s a little mad at you... He’ll get over it.”
I felt better after talking to my mother. I just hoped she was right.
Chapter Twenty
Skeet
I swear my head was about to burst with everything that had been thrown my way in a matter of hours. Suddenly, I just wanted to get as far away from the farm and the Archer Family as I could. They hadn’t done anything wrong. They had done a wonderful thing for Veeta...my little girl. But they had kept her from me for five long years. Years I would never get back. Things I had missed out on.
What did I do with the new information? I couldn’t just announce my fatherhood and claim my child. I couldn’t blurt out the truth about me to the dark-haired beauty with blue eyes that had captured my attention at the ballpark... The little girl who had called me Mister both times that I saw her and thought that I was just some boy in pictures at the farm.
I couldn’t do a damn thing at that point and I wasn’t about to make a scene or have a fight with Celeste about things that seemed so unreal and real at the same time. I also wanted her to know that I still loved her and I think I pretty much said words close to ones I had said before I left town. Back then I wanted her to beg me to stay, to forgive me and maybe I was saying them for some of the same reasons, but I really needed to think and calm my nerves.
So, I drove off the farm property and didn’t look back until I parked my pop’s bike in his storage bin at the back of his automotive shop. I didn’t bother to grab my car in favor of walking to Dean’s bar. I planned to drink plenty... Drown my sorrows parked on a barstool at the bar. Keep them coming is what I wanted and I figured that I’d hire a car to get home or I’d stumble down the road to my pop’s house.
I probably should’ve just gone straight to his house instead of sucking down far too many suds that gave me a massive hangover the following morning. I might’ve avoided losing so much money playing lousy games of pool. Thankfully I didn’t punch Dale when he gloated over his victory, two times out of three.
At least I had the girl. Celeste was mine... and Veeta.
“What the hell are you doing on my couch?” My pop poked me, handing me a cup of coffee as the sun smacked me in the face. It was a good thing he still hid a key in the same spot or I would’ve been sleeping in the front yard.
“Thanks.” I took the cup from his hand as I sat up still wearing my clothes from the day before. “I drank more than I should’ve and didn’t think I could make it from a car up to my apartment without someone calling the cops.”
“Good to know you listened to me and don’t drink and drive.”
“Never, but I meant from a hired car. I don’t think they have getting-drunks-up-to-their-door service.” I laughed imagining the sight and winced.
“So what’s going on with you and Celeste?”
Smart man, my pop.
“She finally had no choice but to open up to me.” I took a sip from the coffee mug. “It wasn’t like or what I ever expected... Do you know she has a daughter?” I looked at my pop and saw the absence of surprise. Dumb of me. Of course he knew.
“You weren’t ready to step up and be a dad to her daughter—”
“Do you know that she’s my daughter? Your grandchild?” My voice was filled with a hint of anger. I didn’t like him telling me that I wasn’t able to handle responsibilities. It was probably true and that was why I had left in the first place—to grow up—but I would’ve never walked away from her... What was I thinking? She wasn’t really Celeste’s. I don’t know what I would’ve done...
“I didn’t know that part, but—”
“You know she’s not Celeste’s?” He nodded and sat down on a chair across from me and I, suddenly, felt so ashamed of myself as I told him about what had happened with Martina.
“That’s a really bad family she comes from...” His voice trailed off as he scrubbed his face with his hands and then he looked at me. “As far as I know, they’re all gone or incarcerated.”
“Don’t worry.” I could see the lines in my pop’s forehead deepen. “I sat in on a meeting with attorneys and a private investigator...your friend Mercer. It seems that the coast is clear and the little girl is no longer in harm’s way...” I sighed. “There were documents that named Celeste and me as her parents. That was the only part that involved me and then the rest was about the demise of the two families.”
“That is good news...” I watched his body relax a bit. “I remember some of Martina’s relatives coming around the industrial area and forcing business owners to pay for ‘protection.’ Those that didn’t pay up at first usually gave in after extensive damage was done to their business...”
“You paid?”
My pop sat up a little taller in his chair. “Hell no! But I did do some inexpensive work to their vehicles.”
“Is that why the bar had so many new owners?” That would make sense.
“Yep.” Pop answered as he stood up and walked toward the kitchen. “Want another cup?” I nodded and headed for a seat at the
kitchen table as he continued, “They were bad news. I know they approached you.” I frowned remembering how close I was to saying yes. “Can’t say I’m sorry to hear they’re gone. Sorry to hear about their innocent children caught in the crossfire... Damn, I’m glad you left.” He shook his head with a pained look on his face again.
“Me too for that reason alone... But I missed out on years with Veeta.”
“So you make it up to her... What’s your plan?”
I told him I had no idea. Part of me was still angry at Celeste for not going to my pop and having him find me. But, mostly, I was angry with myself for getting caught up in the situation at the party in the first place. I, too, felt bad about what had happened to Martina because of me and because of her connected-family.
“At least Veeta was left in good hands...great hands.” I had to agree.
“I wanted her to be ours... Celeste is an amazing woman... I don’t know many people who would do what she did knowing that her best friend and I...” I shook my head and buried my head in my hands, letting the tears fall again. I hadn’t cried so much in years…since Celeste told me we were over.
“Celeste has to be commended for sure and you need to get it into your head that she is Veeta’s mother whether she created her with you or not or whether she gave birth to her or not. When you become a parent you sacrifice everything for them and you do everything to keep them safe, happy and healthy... Now, it’s your turn to step up.”
My pop was right and he knew firsthand about raising a child alone since my mother pretty much left me to be cared for by him. She came and went for years and then finally up and left for good. I wanted to be more like my pop than her—I would never walk away from Veeta and I would never take her away from Celeste.
I needed both of them to be my family and I needed them both to know soon.
Chapter Twenty-one
