Finding Bliss (Bliss #1)

by Cassie Strickland

  My heart melted. “Surrogacy is an option. After what happened…” I closed my eyes and blocked out the rest of the memories that came with it. Opening my eyes again, I continued quietly. “The doctors explained it to me. It’s the scarring that stops me from having children, but I still have viable eggs. I never thought surrogacy was an option for me, though. I never thought I could have someone like you.”

  “Once we’re married, I’d like to look into it.”

  My smile was blinding. “I’d love that, too.”

  “Maybe we could adopt as well. We can fill the house with children.”

  “Stop,” I demanded, covering his mouth. “I’m going to start crying if you go on like that. The thought of having tons of kids with you…” I pressed my lips, fighting my emotions.

  He chuckled and moved my hand, placing it on his chest. “Come here,” he whispered humorously and tugged me to him. He wrapped his arms around me and sighed. “We’re gonna have a beautiful life together, Clara darlin’.”

  “Yeah,” I murmured, snuggling into him.

  “If the Montgomery’s win, we won’t stop until we get Bella back,” he assured me, kissing my hair. “She’s our little girl.”

  Tears welled in my eyes as I nodded. “Yeah…ours.”

  Chapter 31

  Grey

  “How’s she holdin’ up?” I questioned Adam. He slouched down on the couch more, his eyes pointed at the television, not answering. “Not well, then?”

  He gave me a sidelong glance, glowering. “No.”

  “Chels will snap out of it eventually. Give her a little time,” I encouraged him.

  Chelsea had moved into his house a couple of days ago. I thought she would be somewhat excited about the change, but she cried the entire move. It was not a fun experience for anyone.

  “Yeah, but until then, I’m havin’ to escape my home just to get a breather,” he complained.

  I winced. “That’s bad.”

  He pointed an exasperated look my way. “No shit?”

  “Don’t be an ass.”

  “She won’t stop cryin’, Grey. It’s been days and she can’t stop. I’ve tried to talk to her, console her, but she’s goin’ nuts. Then, on top of that, she’s workin’ with her attorney on the divorce. It’s a fuckin’ disaster.”

  That was news. I hadn’t had time to speak with Galen about it. We had our own legal battle going on, so it’d been put on the backburner.

  “What’s her attorney tellin’ her?”

  “Since they can’t find Justin, the only way she can divorce him is by doin’ somethin’ called Notice of Service by Publication.” Adam ran his hands through his hair in agitation. “Basically, she has to prove she’s done everythin’ necessary to contact him with futile results and then issue this statement in the county paper. The statement has to continue to run in the paper at least once a week for forty days. If Justin still doesn’t contact her or the courts, the divorce will be finalized.”

  “Okay…” I replied, not knowing why this was such a bad thing. She was one step closer to washing her hands of Justin.

  “She’s mortified, Grey. Everyone in town already knows the details, so addin’ this to it only makes it worse. Like she’s sayin’, she’s airin’ her dirty laundry to the whole town now that she has to do this. She doesn’t like the attention she’s getting’, either. Everyone has been callin’ her, tryin’ to find out all the details. Apparently, Becky Holt’s stopped her in town a few times, too.”

  “That lady needs to mind her own damn business,” I barked, annoyed. Clara’s run-in with her still maddened me.

  Luckily, since nothing has come from Wes’s investigation, the town had quieted down regarding that. Still, I was getting stopped all the time by folks wanting to find out about the custody suit.

  “Yeah, and it gets worse. Becky was nice enough to tell Chels that Justin’s mistress had a beautiful baby boy last week. Justin’s officially a daddy, though he doesn’t know it. He hasn’t contacted them, nor have they heard from him since he disappeared.”

  Anger surged up in me. “Jesus. It gets worse and worse.”

  “No shit,” Adam muttered again, shaking his head.

  “Even if I were stupid enough to do somethin’ like this, if my son was born, I’d be right there. That’s fuckin’ ridiculous.”

  “I think we’ve all decided that Justin’s a dumbass. I’m not surprised.”

  “Yeah,” I murmured, agreeing with him – Justin was a dumbass.

  “Enough about that shit,” Adam announced and hopped up. “I need a beer.”

  “Grab me one,” I called after him.

  He nodded and pulled open the fridge. After grabbing two, he shut it and headed back to the couch, asking, “How’s Clara?”

  “She has her moments, but she’s hangin’ in there. She’s been spendin’ a lot of time at my old place with Galen and Jared.”

  I’d offered my house to them as a base of operation. They needed somewhere private to talk and go over paperwork. It was furnished and unused, so it was perfect.

  “I still can’t believe those jackasses are doin’ this,” Adam complained as he plopped back down and handed me my beer.

  I snorted, laughing bitterly. “Sounds about right.”

  The front door opened suddenly, and we heard Sam call out, “Knock, knock.” She came strolling into the living room moments later.

  “Hey,” I returned, smiling. My sister and I weren’t spending as much time together as we used to, so I was happy to see her. “What are you doin’ here?”

  “Needed a break,” she told me and shrugged. She walked to the fridge to grab a beer and sat next to me. “Mrs. Birdie and Mom took over for the afternoon. I figured since Clara was meetin’ with that sexy lawyer, I’d come see my brother.”

  “Sexy lawyer?” Adam question, his brows raised.

  I rolled my eyes, enlightening him, “Jared.”

  “That man…” Sam fanned herself with a dreamy look in her eyes. “What I wouldn’t do to him.”

  I hit her in the head with one of the couch pillows. “Gross,” I grumbled, my skin crawling.

  She smirked, her eyes twinkling. “Just returnin’ the favor. I have to watch you and Clara all the time.”

  “True,” Adam chimed in.

  “I’m surprised you let Clara spend that much time with Jared,” Sam stated curiously.

  “Why?” I questioned, amused.

  “Because he’s hot,” she explained, like it was the obvious answer.

  “Why do I give a shit? I don’t have anythin’ to worry about. He’s her lawyer. He’s here for a reason, Sam.”

  “Have you wondered…?”

  Sam was fanning the fire, trying to get on my nerves.

  “Stop being a bitch, Samantha.”

  She laughed. “What are sisters for?”

  Adam opened his mouth, probably hoping to join in on pestering me, but the doorbell rang. I sighed, hating that damn bell. It never brought anything good. I wanted some peace and quiet for once.

  “I’ll get it,” I told them and plunked my beer down on the coffee table.

  “Expecting anyone?” Adam asked, glancing toward the hall.

  “No.”

  It could be Oliver, though. He’d arrived in town last night. We had dinner with him, Jared, and Galen to go over questions for the hearing, which was supposed to happen the day after tomorrow. I sat Oliver up with a room at the B&B, but he made no mention of stopping by.

  I pushed to my feet, saying, “Be right back.”

  “With your luck, I wouldn’t be surprised to find Justin waitin’ for you,” Sam joked.

  “He better not be here,” Adam snarled, glaring at Sam.

  “Why are you so touchy?” Sam asked, bemused.

  “It’s a sore subject,” I offered before turning down the hall. I stopped in my tracks when I noticed the person on the other side of the door, staring at me through the glass.

  It can’t be.

/>   I dashed for the door and threw it open, not believing my eyes. “What are you doin’ here?”

  Her chin wobbled as a tear spilled from the corners of her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

  Her tears damn near broke me, so I held out my arms and murmured, “Come here.”

  Teresa rushed toward me, crying. I wrapped her in my arms and held her to me, letting her sob and quake against my chest. “I’m sorry,” she repeated over and over again.

  “Shhh… It’s okay, Teresa.”

  We’d stayed like that for a few minutes before she finally stepped back. Her eyes held regret when they met mine. “I should have done something to stop him.” She hiccupped, fighting her grief, and held a hand over her mouth. “I should have called Clara. Oh God, she probably hates me now! I hate myself for this!”

  “Everythin’s goin’ to be fine, Teresa. You’re here now,” I assured her and curved an arm around her shoulders, ushering her into the house. “Come in and we’ll figure this out.”

  I needed to figure out why she was here, too.

  Adam and Sam’s eyes bugged out when they saw Teresa. “Is that who I think it is?” Adam whispered to Sam.

  A slow smile spread across Sam’s face. “Oh, yeah.”

  “You weren’t kiddin’ about his luck,” Adam commented, grinning.

  I narrowed my eyes at him, telling him to shut up, as I guided Teresa to the couch next to Sam. This situation needed to be handled with finesse, not wise-cracks.

  “Can I get you somethin’ to drink? Wine or, uh, whiskey?” I asked Teresa. Seeing how upset she was, I figured something stronger might be best.

  “Wine, please.” She sniffled and grabbed some used tissue from her purse to dab her eyes.

  Quickly, I uncorked a bottle and poured her a glass, my mind on hyper-drive. If Teresa was here apologizing, this meant she was on our side. It also meant that Al’s case could be thrown out. No judge in their right mind would hand over guardianship of a small child to a couple divided on the issue. This could be huge for us.

  I strode back into the living room with her glass and the bottle of wine. Teresa seemed to have calmed down a bit, but her hair was a complete mess and her eyes were red and swollen. She’d been crying for some time, I’d guess, and she’d aged ten years since I’d last seen her.

  I handed her the glass and sat down, placing the bottle on the coffee table. “You okay?” I questioned, worried.

  She tipped the glass back and chugged the wine as an answer. Sam and I gave each other shocked expressions over her head and then looked back at her. She held out the glass again, silently asking for a refill. I poured more wordlessly.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “What are you doing here, Teresa?” Sam questioned.

  Her face twisted up with anger and sorrow. “I should have done it a long time ago. I knew I should have. I was just so scared. And then this happened. I didn’t want this. I want Clara to raise Bella. It’s the best choice. The only choice. I’m too old to raise a child. Al knew this.” Her words were rushed, vehement, and more tears escaped, sliding down her cheeks. She used the old, wrinkled tissue to mop them up again. “I’ve had enough. Finally, after years, I’ve had enough. I did it. I really did do it.” She laughed almost manically.

  Adam, Sam, and I looked at one another, wide-eyed.

  What did that mean?

  With our fortune lately, Teresa left Al for dead somewhere.

  Please, God, don’t let that be the case.

  I might not like the man, but I didn’t wish for his demise.

  “What did you do, Teresa?” I asked, troubled.

  Her eyes were bright with more tears, but she beamed. “I left Al. I left my husband.”

  Oh.

  Shit.

  “Really?”

  I didn’t know whether to fall out in shock or jump for joy. It was selfish to think this while she was so upset, and although I felt bad about her predicament, this helped our case even further.

  “I had enough. What he’s doing to Clara is wrong. I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out, Grey. I should have done this before, when I found out what Al did.”

  I reached for her hand, hoping to console her. “It’s okay, Teresa. It’s okay. You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

  “You don’t understand!” she wailed, freaking out again.

  I held on to my patience and prompted, “Explain it to me.”

  “It can’t be all that bad, Teresa,” Sam urged.

  “I heard Al talking to his attorney yesterday. They were talking about some institution that Clara was in a long time ago. I didn’t know anything about it, so I barged in, demanding answers. Al has somehow gotten a hold of her medical records.”

  “Fuck,” Adam muttered, putting his head in his hands.

  “Is it true?” Teresa inquired, confused. “What was said in there, was that true?”

  “You read it all?” I asked, not answering her.

  “Yes. I mean, I didn’t want to, but Al made me. If that happened…”

  “Look, that’s somethin’ Clara needs to talk to you about,” Sam explained, sticking up for Clara.

  “Sam’s right. I cannot give you the answers,” I concurred.

  “But…”

  “No.” My tone was final.

  “But they are going to make her out to be a crazy person, Grey.” She shook her head in fury, though it was on Clara’s behalf. “I couldn’t live with myself if I stood by Al’s side when he did that. If what that file says is true, this could destroy her.” She took another gulp from her glass, fortifying herself, but I snatched it from her and set it away. “I packed my bag and drove here after Al refused to give up. We fought for hours over it. I had to warn Clara. I had to stop him.”

  Teresa dissolved into uncontrolled sobs against my chest. I stared down at the hysterical woman in my arms, at a loss. I patted her back and mouthed to Sam, “Call Clara.” She nodded and jumped off the couch, heading for the dining room.

  Anger pumped through my veins. How did he get his hands on her medical records? Galen or Jared would’ve been notified if they tried to attain them legally. Someone must have swiped them for Al. It was the only plausible explanation. The time for those answers wasn’t now, though.

  “Thank you for warnin’ us, Teresa,” I told her, sighing. “We’ll figure this out.”

  “I don’t know how,” she cried, shaking her head.

  I couldn’t take much more of this, so I went on, “Oliver’s at the B&B. Do you want me to call him?”

  She sniffled and pulled away, shocked. “Ollie’s here? He’s helping?”

  I had no idea she didn’t know that. “He’s a character witness for us.”

  “Oh, thank God!” She collapsed against the couch, relieved.

  Sam walked back into the room, eyeing Teresa curiously. “Clara and Jared are on their way here. She’s lettin’ Galen know since he’s out with Shelley. They’ll be here in a minute.”

  “She probably hates me now,” she whispered, her face pinched. “Poor Clara. I shouldn’t have done this to her. I should have spoken up sooner.”

  “Shhh,” I soothed her. “She’d never hate you, Teresa. We figured it was Al’s doin’ from the beginning. It’s not your fault.”

  “The hell it isn’t!” she yelled, then bit her lip, remorseful of her outburst. “I should have stuck up for her sooner, Grey.”

  I hid my groan. Nothing I said was going to change her mind. Hopefully, she’d listen to Clara.

  Knowing Oliver needed to be informed, I stood, saying, “I’m gonna call Oliver. Is that okay?”

  She nodded. “Please.”

  I left Teresa on the couch and pulled my cell from my pocket. I dialed him and walked into the foyer. He sounded tired when he answered. “Hey, Grey.”

  “I think you need to get over here.”

  His voice came back stronger, more alert. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s…it’s your mot
her. She just showed up on our doorstep.” I wasn’t going to tell him his mother left his father. That was for Teresa. “She’s upset.”

  “I’m on my way.” He hung up without another word.

  I strode back into the living room and found Adam refilling Teresa’s glass. I shook my head no – she’d had enough. Adam shrugged, conveying it’s not going to hurt anything.

  “Oliver’s on his way.”

  “Thank you, Grey. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Not only for Al, but for showing up here. I should have called. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I expressed, sighing.

  The front door was thrown open and Clara came rushing down the hallway, her face masked with apprehension. She honed in on Teresa, ignoring everyone else in the room. Clara smiled, trying to assure Teresa without words, and sat next to her. Teresa fell against Clara’s chest and sobbed. Clara hugged her and murmured, “It’s okay, Teresa. You’re here now.”

  While the scene unfolded, I noticed Jared walk in carrying Bella’s car seat. I lifted my jaw as an acknowledgement and took Bella from him. Clara kept whispering to Teresa as I placed the car seat on the island counter and unstrapped Bella. She grinned and lifted her hands, ready to get out.

  “I think I’m gonna head out,” Adam informed me, outwardly uncomfortable. “I need to check on Chelsea.”

  “Okay. If I don’t talk you before then, I’ll see you at the courthouse.”

  “Sure. Uh, good luck.” He tilted his head, motioning toward Teresa.

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, thanks.”

  Adam spun on his heel, snickering, before he disappeared down the hall.

  “What happened?” Jared asked as I met him in the living room. His focus was on Clara and Teresa.

  “You were right. Her husband’s attorney is gonna use what happened to Clara against her. You need to find out how they got their hands on Clara’s medical records. They know everythin’ that happened.”

  “I’m sorry, what did you just say?” Jared questioned, his voice soft and lethal.