Finding Bliss (Bliss #1)

by Cassie Strickland

  Two weeks, a beach, and Grey…heaven.

  We went over to Emma and Brad’s for breakfast and exchanged gifts with them after we were done. That turned out to be a lot of fun. I got them all a couple of things each, but Grey stole the show. He was sending his parents on a cruise to Alaska and Sam on a trip to London with the person of her choice.

  It was after that that the cat came out of the bag regarding the money Jonathan had left Grey. Grey had divided it up into three accounts for Sam, his parents, and himself. I was impressed by that. He could have kept it all, but he didn’t. Again, it was his way of caring for his family.

  He had expressed to me that he didn’t want his share after learning about Jonathan, but he decided to keep it for a rainy day. “You never know what life throws at you, Clara,” he told me. “It’s better to be prepared.”

  His family was shocked to learn that they now possessed that much money. I think they were still trying to come to terms with it.

  Later that evening, Emma and Brad had their annual Christmas party. Like Thanksgiving, many people from Bliss had shown up. It was a come and go affair, so it wasn’t too formal. Chelsea had surprisingly attended, which I was excited about. Still, she barely spoke to anyone and didn’t touch a bit off food. From the last time I’d seen her, she’d lost an alarming amount of weight, too. Adam was by her side, not leaving her for anything. I could tell that he was worried. Hell, after seeing her weight loss, so was I.

  Galen and Shelley were growing closer, almost inseparable. Once I got over their closeness – they didn’t shy away from public displays of affection – I liked this for them. Maybe Galen could have more in Bliss than just Bella and me. Maybe it was a second chance for him, as well. And maybe Shelley was what he needed to make the final decision to move here.

  Time would tell.

  Two arms wrapped around my waist, startling me. I let out a scream and looked over my shoulder. Grey was grinning at me.

  “Don’t do that,” I grouched.

  “I called your name twice,” Grey replied, chuckling under his breath.

  “You did?”

  “Yes.” He kissed my shoulder and pulled me more securely against him. “What’s goin’ on in that pretty little head of yours? You’re miles away.”

  I turned in his arms and peered up at him, shocked that he didn’t know already. “Isn’t it obvious? Bella’s grandparents ring any bells?”

  His face gentled, and he leaned in to kiss the tip of my nose. “Stop worryin’. It’s gonna be fine.”

  My eyes widened. “How can you say that?”

  “Because it is. They are gonna love her and you. It’s all gonna work out, darlin’. Stop freakin’ out.”

  “Easier said than done.”

  “Go take a long bath and then get dressed. The house looks great.” He glanced around the living room and grinned. “I don’t think it can get any cleaner, darlin’. Galen and I will listen for Bella. Try and relax for a bit.”

  That did sound lovely.

  “You don’t mind?” I asked, tentatively.

  “No, Clara. Between the two of us, I think we have it covered.” He twirled me around and gave me a push. “Enjoy yourself for a bit.”

  “Okay…okay,” I grumbled, but I did it smiling.

  ♥♥♥

  An hour later, I was in a better state of mind. The bath had done wonders, and I felt light, refreshed.

  This was all going to work out, I told myself. Bella was the priority here, nothing more, nothing less. I was sure that whatever happened couldn’t be any worse than what’d already happened.

  Subconsciously, I was praying I wasn’t jinxing myself.

  I dressed in a conservative grey sweater and jeans, pairing them with my black boots. I wore the earrings Grey gave me for Christmas and did my hair and makeup casually. I wanted to seem open and poised at the same time.

  I walked downstairs and found Grey and Galen on the couch watching a movie. Both were completely at ease with what was about to go down. Bella, who didn’t have a care in the world, was laying on the floor, slobbering on a teething ring. I checked the clock to see that we only had a short time until the Montgomery’s arrived.

  “Feeling better?” Grey asked when he saw me.

  I bent next to Bella and picked her up, taking over the slobbering fest. “Much. Thanks for that.”

  He gave me a wide smile. “Any time, darlin’.”

  “I’m going take Bella upstairs and get her ready.” Her hair had grown out a bit since I’d had her. Like mine, hers was as straight as a board, but it stuck out all over the place, becoming quite unruly. It was a beast to tame, and it usually took me forever to fix.

  “Do you need me to do anything?” Galen asked, eyeing me with concern.

  “No. It’s fine. I think everything is ready to go. Just keep a look out for them.”

  “Okay, girly.”

  I sauntered upstairs and changed Bella quickly. She wore jeans with little rhinestones on the booty, a frilly pink top, and brown suede boots. Like always, she looked precious. I gathered her hair on the top of her head and made a tiny little ponytail. I found a cute little bow to go with the outfit and clipped it in her hair. She immediately tried to pull it out, messing up my attempts. It took three times before she got bored with the bow and started chewing on her fists again.

  “You can be a booger when you want to,” I told her as I finished, “but you’re an adorable one.” She waved her arms next to her and bounced on her bottom in excitement, almost causing her to topple off the changing table. “Easy there, tiger,” I murmured as I picked her up. “Gotta be careful when you’re up here.” She let out a squeal and tugged on my lip. “That’s what I thought,” I replied and laughed.

  The doorbell rang, and I froze.

  This was it.

  They had arrived.

  “Are you ready to meet your other family, Bella?” I asked her nervously. I, of course, wasn’t expecting an answer, but she pulled on my earing and giggled. “Come on, sweet girl. Let’s go downstairs.”

  As I headed down the stairs, I heard Grey introduce himself and tell them to come in. I paused at the base of the stairs and took one more fortifying breath before turning the corner to walk down the hall.

  A herd of people were in the foyer, glancing around. It was the older woman and man that caught my attention first. Teresa was a pretty, older version of her daughter, but with silver hair that hung in loose curls at her shoulders. Albert was tall, dark headed, and had an aura of severity. Their three children stood with them. One of the sons and the daughter – Gretchen, I presumed – resembled their father, though not just in looks. They were serious, almost snide as they examined my home. The last son, which was probably the youngest of the group – late-twenties or so – was fair, like me. Actually, he and I could’ve been twins. He had his sister’s blue eyes and that soft, golden mane of hair.

  I pasted on a smile and continued down the hall. As they heard my steps, all eyes swung to me and they grew large, troubled.

  “Holy shit! It’s like Abby’s twin,” the eldest brother exclaimed.

  I wasn’t sure if he was talking about Bella or me…but I had a good inkling that it was me.

  “Hello, I’m Clara. It’s nice to meet you all,” I said. I bounced Bella a bit, hoping it would help draw their scrutiny away from me. “And this sweet little thing is Bella.”

  No one said anything for a minute. They continued to stare at Bella and me in shock.

  “Is this some type of joke?” Gretchen snapped finally. Even if she did look a lot like her father, she had inherited her mother’s eyes.

  “Gretchen,” Teresa warned, and then smiled a watery smile at me. She took a step forward as her gaze roamed over Bella. “She’s just as gorgeous as her pictures. Just like Abby was when she was a baby.” She held out her hands and asked, “May I hold her?”

  “Sure.” I allowed Teresa to take Bella in her arms and hug her. A lone tear slid down Teresa’s fac
e.

  “Why don’t you come in and have a seat,” Grey suggested, motioning toward the hall.

  “I’ll take your coats,” I offered, smiling. They shrugged off their jackets and handed them to me, the older siblings observing me closely. I put them up on the coat rack as Grey showed them to the living room. Galen was introducing himself as I joined them and asked, “Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, water?”

  They all murmured coffee. Grey and I worked on handing out mugs, and then we all settled on the couches, silent. I didn’t know where to begin. It was rather uncomfortable.

  “I guess I’ll start,” Albert began. “I’m Al, Abby’s father. These are her sibling, Clyde, Gretchen, and Oliver. As you know, this is Teresa.” He pointed to her. She still had Bella clasped to her chest like she never wanted to let her go. I couldn’t blame her. I felt the same way when I first saw Bella.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I replied, smiling uncertainly.

  “I think some answers are in order,” Gretchen demanded, glaring at me. “Why in the hell do you look so much like my sister?”

  I knew it was going to come to this.

  “I guess I should have mentioned that before,” I told them, feeling ill at ease. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

  Gretchen and Clyde stared at me expectantly, so Galen jumped in. “I don’t think now is an appropriate time for that conversation. Plus, it is something that is very personal to Clara.”

  “And who the hell are you?” Clyde snarled.

  “Clyde, Gretchen, stop,” Al ordered, giving them a pointed look. His eyes found mine and they gentled, but it was just. “Excuse them. Seeing you is shocking.”

  “I understand that…but Galen is right. The story is a personal one to me, and quite frankly, I don’t know you. It’s not something that I’d tell a stranger, even though our circumstances are outside the norm.” I took a deep breath and faked another smile. “I think we should focus on Bella right now.”

  “Can you tell us about this letter?” Oliver asked. His sky-blue eyes were sorrow-filled as they observed Bella, and his hands shook as they ran though his hair. His sisters’ death had wounded him deeply.

  I licked my lips, knowing that what I was going to tell them would hurt them even more. “What did Detective Wilde explain so far?” I asked first.

  When Al answered, an air of mistrust surround him. “He explained the accident and how you didn’t receive the letter until sometime later, so they didn’t know it was a suicide. He then told us about Bella. Other than that, we are in the dark.”

  I found it odd that Teresa and Oliver were the only ones that gazed at Bella with affection. I ignored it for now and nodded to Al.

  “Yes. You are correct. We all assumed it was an accident. There were no signs of foul play.” I gave them my story, telling them what had transpired since Grey had called me. I left out all details regarding Jonathan. I wanted to address that last…or never.

  Oliver was bewildered as I finished. “Why would she kill herself, though? I don’t understand.”

  I guess addressing that last meant now.

  Shit.

  “’Cause she was bat-shit crazy, that’s why,” Gretchen stated before I could say anything.

  “Gretchen!” Oliver and Al yelled together.

  I stared at her slack-jawed.

  Who would say something like that about their deceased sister?

  “I think you should give them a few details about Jon, Clara.” Grey took hold of my hand and squeezed it, forcing me to look away from the now arguing siblings. He leaned in so that only I could hear him and whispered in my ear. “Don’t give ’em specifics, just a few details so they understand. They don’t need to know everythin’ about you or what happened with Jon.”

  He was right, even though I really didn’t want to.

  I blew out a breath from the side of my mouth and turned back to the family seated in front of me. Al had quieted them down while Grey had whispered to me.

  “It would be better for you to understand if you knew a bit about Jonathan. He was…” My hands trembled a bit, so I clasped them together on my lap to hide them. Grey covered them with his and encouraged me silently.

  “You don’t have to explain if it’s too hard, Clara,” Teresa finally spoke. She’d been so absorbed in Bella, I didn’t realize she was keeping track of the conversation.

  “The hell she doesn’t,” Clyde argued. Waves of hatred rolled off him, directed at me.

  I reared back a bit.

  How did I become the bad guy here?

  “I think you need to respect the fact that you are in Clara’s home,” Grey snapped, shooting daggers at Clyde with his eyes. “I will not tolerate any hostility toward her. If it weren't for her, you wouldn’t have known what happened to Stacy…Abby. She is a bystander in all of this. Everythin’. And she’s done nothin’ but sacrifice for Bella. I think y’all owe her a great deal of gratitude.”

  “He’s right,” Teresa told her children. “No more from you.”

  Oliver stood, glaring at his siblings, and walked to his mother. “Can I hold her?” he asked softly and held out his hands. Reluctantly, Teresa surrendered Bella into his arms. Oliver stared down at her with misty eyes and smiled. “Hey there, cutie pie. Aren’t you a beauty? So much like your momma.” His voice cracked at the end, his agony tangible.

  “Ollie and Abby were twins,” Teresa enlightened us as she wiped tears from her eyes. “They were always close. Ever since they were born, they were inseparable. Her disappearance hit him the hardest.”

  Oliver turned his back to us as he held Bella to his chest. His shoulders shook as soft sobs echoed throughout the room.

  The poor man – my heart went out to him.

  “Why don’t we get back on track,” Gretchen ordered, rolling her eyes at her mourning brother.

  This family threw me. Teresa and Oliver were warm and loving, the only ones that actually cared. Al, I was on the fence about. He was interested in what happened, though he was dis-attached emotionally as he searched for the knowledge. Gretchen and Clyde had a serious stick up their ass for some reason. I didn’t know how to take the wide array of personalities.

  “I think Gretchen is right,” Clyde agreed, lifting an antagonizing brow at me.

  “Clyde,” Teresa warned.

  Clyde glanced at Gretchen, and they shared a look.

  There was no telling what that meant.

  When Oliver turned back around, he gained my attention. “Sorry,” he whispered, his voice gruff. He wiped the tears away with the back of one hand and smiled down at Bella.

  “It’s fine,” I told him quietly.

  “Can you tell us about Abby’s husband?” Al asked, wanting to get on with it, but doing it more diplomatically.

  I gave him a nod and began. “Jonathan was a liar, a manipulator…an abuser.” I found Teresa’s gaze and held it. It felt easier to tell her and act like there wasn’t anyone else in the room. “He was not good to me growing up. Well, he wasn’t a good man, period.” I steadied myself for the next part. “He had a…an infatuation with me.” Teresa sucked in a breath, and her eyes grew wide. “That’s why he married your daughter. She looked like me, and since he couldn’t have me…”

  “My God,” Teresa whispered, horrified.

  “He was the pastor in this town, but he used God to gain power. We believe he was abusing his position to harm young girls. Your daughter figured it out. She found some evidence and certain things regarding Jonathan’s past with me. She didn’t think she had enough to put him away, so instead of calling the cops, she tried to find more evidence. When that didn’t work, she figured killing him was the only way. She explained that if she killed him, she couldn’t live with herself, and it was best that she ended both of their lives.”

  “That’s…that’s…” Teresa sputtered.

  “Sick and crazy,” Gretchen snapped, her fury fixed on me.

  “So Abby was married to some sicko bigamist chi
ld molester?” Clyde asked before anyone could say anything. I did not like the tone he used or the look he was giving me.

  What in the hell was wrong with these people? I pretty much spelled out the fact that Jonathan molested me, something in itself that was heinous, and the two of them were mad at me?!

  I breathed out and reinforced myself. “Your sister was, from what she wrote, trying to do something good. She truly believed it was the only way.”

  Oliver scrubbed his face, careful not to jostle Bella. “That’s nuts.” He looked at me. “I’m sorry about what happened to you. I am. I just… I don’t… I don’t know how to feel about this.”

  “I wish I never met her,” Gretchen murmured under her breath, but it was very clear.

  My back went ramrod straight as Clyde snickered.

  “You son of a,” Grey began snarling as I started to say, “I-”, but Teresa wasn’t allowing it.

  “That’s it,” Teresa announced, her tone so soft you could barely hear it, but it was the undercurrent of authority that spoke louder. “I’ve had enough of you two. No more.”

  Clyde had the audacity to look affronted by his mother. “Mom?”

  “I agree with your mother,” Galen snapped, his face red with rage.

  “Gretchen, Clyde, to the car. If you don't show them any respect, you’ll wait for us to finish.” She shook her head in disappointment and sadness. “You have the nerve to be rude to Clara, when all she has shown us is kindness. She’s telling us things that are very difficult, very personal, and this is how you react? You haven’t even looked at your niece, your flesh and blood, yet. Get out.”

  “You’re kidding?” Gretchen yelled and stood. She pointed at her mother, irate. “I can’t believe this. This was Abby! Abby! We all knew she was crazy, Mother. Crazy! You coddled her too much. She got away with everything. Take your meds, Abby. Oh, you don’t want to. Yeah, that’s fine. It’s all your fault that she left! All. Your. Fault! And now we have this woman,” she pointed at me, “raising our niece. She’s telling us things that-”