by Rye Hart
“Yes. I want all of us working this from every angle. Lanie isn’t going with that man. I’m not going down without a fight. By the time I’m done with that miserable piece of shit, he’s going to be sorry he ever tried to fuck with my family.”
“I’ll get on it. I’ll call your P.I. first. Maybe we can all sit down with the detective and figure out where to go from here. Brian, things are starting to look good.”
“Good. I have to go,” I said.
“I’ll call you when I know something.”
“Thank you Luther.”
I walked out of his office feeling hopeful for the first time in days. Suddenly, my business mind began to kick back into gear. The insurance claim, if they filed it properly, would cover the equipment. But the monthly premiums for the business would skyrocket because of this. The company wouldn’t be able to do anything about it until we could prove it was arson. That would be the only way the insurance company would have mercy on us.
“Hey, Brian. Whatcha got for me?”
“Hey, Jack. I can’t talk specifics, but I’m pretty sure I know who started the fire at the warehouse,” I said.
“You do?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m working on getting the proof right now. I’ve got my PI and my lawyer on it, as well as the arson investigator. Hopefully we can get it wrapped up sooner than later.”
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the custody battle, would it?” Jack asked, his voice dropping an octave like it always did when he was pissed.
“Pretty sure it does,” I said. “Listen, you just take care of filling out that insurance paperwork.”
“I’m on the phone with them now,” he said.
“Good. Let me know how things go .”
“Once they’re writing the check, I’ll let you know. And whatever the fuck’s going on, Brian, keep yourself safe.”
“Always,” I said. “That shit’s a given.”
CHAPTER 19
Amanda
“Come get me, Mommy!”
My ears perked up at the name as I turned around and faced Lanie.
“What did you call me?” I asked.
Her eyes grew big as she cowered against the couch.
“Sorry,” she said as she bent her head toward the floor.
I walked over to the little girl and scooped her up into my arms. I held her close as she sniffled into my shirt, wiping her nose against the fabric of it. I felt my heart warm as that name echoed off the corners of my mind.
Mommy.
Lanie had just called me “mommy.”
“Sorry,” she said.
“Don’t be sorry for something like that, okay?” I asked.
“Can we play tag?”
“Of course, we can. You want me to be ‘it’ first?” I asked.
“Yeah!”
I dropped Lanie to her feet, and she took off. I ran down the hallway, wiggling my fingers at her as she squealed. She dashed into her room and jumped onto her bed. Then she hopped away from me when I lunged at her. We ran around the house, panting and laughing, her joyful sounds filling the cabin.
“You can’t get me, Mommy!” she said.
My heart swelled with pride at the name. I watched as Lanie’s face lit up with joy and her cheeks flushed with effort. I watched her brown hair flutter around her shoulders as her eyes sparkled with happiness. Everything about this little girl was beautiful, and she had worked her way into my heart. I loved her. She was the most incredible child I had ever met. Stronger than she could comprehend without even understanding why.
“I’m gonna get you!” I said.
I danced with her around the living room before I scooped her up into my arms. We fell onto the couch while I tickled her, laughter pouring from her lips. She squealed and shrieked, kicking her legs as my fingertips danced along her stomach.
“That tickles! That tickles!”
I hadn’t known her for very long, but she’d stolen my heart. She was everything I thought a little girl should be. Energetic. Beautiful. Strong and graceful. She was warm to her core, and loved to cuddle up next to someone.
Brian was the luckiest man alive to have her in his life.
The front door burst open, and I whipped my head around. Brian stalked in, his face sunken and his form standing tall. Lanie rolled off the couch and ran toward him, wrapping her arms around his leg as he stooped.
He looked down at the little girl, and I could’ve sworn there were tears in his eyes.
“Come here, you,” he said.
“Uncle Bwian! Guess what?” she asked.
I felt my heart thudding in my chest as I stared at Lanie.
“What?” Brian asked.
“Tag! You’re it!”
Lanie smacked Brian’s forehead before she wiggled from his grasp. I covered my laughter with my hand as Brian took off after her down the hallway. I could hear Lanie’s giggles as she ran to her room. The joy that filled this cabin when she was happy swelled my heart so big I thought it would burst.
Soon, I heard Brian’s voice coming from Lanie’s room. I got up from the couch and turned the corner, watching as he tucked her in for her nap. She was clinging to him, her arms wrapped around his neck as she planted a big kiss on his cheek.
“I love you, Uncle Bwian,” she said.
“I love you, too, Lanie.”
My heart melted at that very moment. Tears rose in my eyes as I placed my hand on my chest. Here was this big burly man, with carnal desires and callused hands. He had a stern look and a hard brow, with icy eyes and a low voice. And here he was, professing his love to a little three-year-old girl who had him wrapped around her finger.
“Could we have ice cream after my nap?” Lanie asked.
“Only if you have sweet dreams,” Brian said.
“Okay. But what if I have a nightmare?”
“Then you come get me, and I’ll fight off all the bad guys,” he said.
I leaned against the wall as I wiped a tear away from my eye. There was no way in hell anyone could parent that child better than he could. There was no way anyone on this planet could love her more than he already did. I watched as Brian got up and closed her door before he turned toward me. And when he did, darkness fell back over his eyes.
“What happened this morning?” I asked.
“Come sit with me,” he said.
He held his hand out to me, and I took it. He led me back out to the couch, and we sat down. His hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me close to him, and we sat in silence as he collected his thoughts.
“Have I ever told you what I used to do for work?” he asked.
“No,” I said.
“I built a business with a friend of mine. A security and personal protection business.”
“You did?” I asked.
“Yes. Protection has always been in my veins, but private protection always seemed to be reserved for those who had money. I didn’t like that, and I found another guy like me who didn’t like it, either.”
“What’s your business called?”
“I stepped down from the day to day after my divorce, and I moved out here. But I still own it. Cosaint Protection Agency.”
“Why does that name sound familiar?” I asked.
“We have a warehouse here. We tried to get an East Coast installment of the company up and running back a few years ago. We posted some billboards to advertise it before we put things on hold.”
“Okay. So, you don’t work there, but you still own it?” I asked.
“Majority stock, yes. It’s how I take care of Lanie and live without working.”
“Do you think you’ll ever go back?” I asked.
“No. After living out here for a couple of years, I enjoyed the isolation. So I told Jack, the guy who started this all with me, that I wasn’t coming back.”
“What does that have to do with what happened this morning?”
“The warehouse we have out here was burned to the ground.”
&nb
sp; My face fell as my lips parted in shock.
“What?” I asked.
“Yeah. The detective that was on the scene already declared it arson. He could smell the accelerant from a mile away. It had to be Bob.”
“Wait, you can prove that?” I asked.
“No, but it makes sense. Jack never took my name off any formal documents. I’m still technically a sitting board member on the official paperwork. That man walked up onto my doorstep a few days ago. He has someone digging up info on me, and that would be easy to find.”
“So you think he set the fire,” I said.
“I’m almost certain he did. He was trying his best to show me that he has the upper hand.It’s the only thing I can come up with. Except he obviously doesn’t understand how businesses work. It’s a nuisance, but if my P.I. and the detective can link this to him, between that and our marriage, my custody case is secured.”
“I’m so sorry that happened, Brian.”
“We need to make sure this wedding happens soon. The clock is ticking, and Bob’s mental state is waning fast.”
“Well, then why don’t we do it now?”
I saw his face turn toward mine as I sat up on the couch.
“Why don’t we go to the courthouse now and get married? Is the license ready?” I asked.
“We need to pick it up,” he said.
“Well, let’s go into town,” I said.
“Is Tanya here?”
“Yeah. She came in about an hour after you’d left. I told her I could take Lanie, so she’s been deep cleaning. In case there is an inspection.”
“Where is she now?”
“I told her to go get lunch in town. She should be back any second.”
And like clockwork, I heard a car pull up beside the house. Tanya came through the door, sipping on her soda as she dropped her purse. We explained to her that we needed to run into town for a bit, but that Lanie was down for a late nap. She shooed us out the door and told us to take our time, so we hopped into Brian’s truck and started for town.
But, once we arrived at the courthouse, we learned the magistrates had already left for the day. We had our marriage license, but no way to make things official until tomorrow. I could see the defeated look in Brian’s eyes, so I suggested we go and get some food. It would give us time to properly plan how we would work tomorrow.
He took me to a restaurant called Posada. I didn’t recognize it, but then again it looked to be a fancier restaurant. My grandmother had enough to keep me fed, clothed, and a roof over my head, but it didn’t leave us with much spending money of our own. I took Brian’s hand as he led me inside, sticking close by him as we were led to our table.
“This place is really nice,” I said.
“It’s a decent place for a town like Asheville,” he said.
“Decent?” I asked. “It’s nicer than any place I’ve ever been.”
“Remind me to take you to a place called Chestnut,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because if this is fancy to you, I’d love to see your face when you walk into that place.”
I giggled and shook my head before our waitress appeared at our table. She took our drink orders and scampered off, which gave us time to figure out what we wanted. But the moment Brian set his menu down, I started talking.
“If the nanny takes Lanie for the day, we could go in the morning. It would give us time to get rings at the jeweler, to the ceremony, file the marriage license, then take some pictures around town. Then, we could get everything to your lawyer in bulk. You said you took pictures of your home, right?” I asked.
“I already sent those to him,” he said.
“Good. Okay. Can Tanya take Lanie for the day tomorrow?” I asked.
“She’s scheduled to come in anyway, so we can head out once she gets there.”
“Perfect. Should we try our hand at booking a professional photographer? Or should we keep them personal and take them on our phones?”
“Well isn’t this cozy?”
I whipped my head over at the familiar voice as my face dropped.
“Daryl,” I said breathlessly. “What in the hell are you doing here?”
“Amanda?” Brian asked. “What’s going on?”
“Is this your new boyfriend?” Daryl asked.
“No, he’s my new fiancé,” I said. “Now I’ll ask you again. What in the hell are you doing in North Carolina?”
“Coming to find you. I was coming to convince you that you made a huge mistake walking away from me. I was going to tell you that I was willing to forgive you and take you back.”
I shook my head, incredulously. “Are you fucking serious? You were going to forgive me?”
He nodded. “I was, but I see you’ve already latched on to some other poor schmuck.”
I watched as Brian stood from the table as I gawked up at Daryl.
Daryl sneered at him, ever the self-centered asshole. “Oh, I see you like lumberjacks now,” he said. “Walk away,” Brian said.
My head whipped over to him as he loomed over my ex. His eyes were iced over, and his brow had darkened. The shadows that played off his face made him look positively dangerous, and my breathing began to pick up as Daryl turned toward him.
“Fiancé, huh?” Daryl asked. “What did you have to offer her to get her to say ‘yes’? I proposed twice, and she turned me down both times.”
“Because you’re an asshole, Daryl,” I said.
“I was better to you than any man you’ll ever find. Including this one. I can’t believe I wasted my money to fly out here for my own sloppy seconds.”
Brian took a step toward him, and it forced Daryl to take a step back. Their eyes were locked while mine were watering with tears. I watched one of the waitresses run off to get someone, and just as Brian poised himself for a fight, the manager was tugging on Daryl’s arm.
“Sir, you need to come with us,” the manager said.
“I suggest you do as they ask,” Brian said.
“No worries. I’ve got plenty of city girls I can tolerate to replace you,” Daryl said. “City girls that have real passions. Girls who don’t waste their time doodling their life away.”
I saw Brian’s fists clench at his sides as the manager escorted Daryl from the restaurant.
“Lose my number, Amanda!”
“I already have,” I called back..
I sighed with my head in my hands as Brian sat back down in his chair.
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
“Who the hell was that guy?” he asked.
“My ex. I ended things with him a few months ago. He was pissed when I left the city without telling him.”
“Well I can certainly see why you left him,” Brian said.
“I’m so sorry, Brian,” I said as tears welled in my eyes.
“Hey. Amanda. Look at me.”
I rose my watery gaze to him before he reached over and took my hand.
“You have no reason to apologize,” he said. “He’s the jackass. You did nothing wrong. Let’s enjoy the evening, okay?”
His thumb swirling along the top of my hand was comforting. I relaxed into my seat as I laced our fingers together, our eyes connected as a grin spread across my face.
“I have to admit, it was kind of hot, the way you stood up to him,” I said.
Brian smiled back. “No one messes with my fiancé,” he said.
My stomach flipped when he said the word. I couldn’t believe that I was actually going to marry this man tomorrow. I squeezed his hand in reassurance before the waitress approached us again. We gave her our food orders and talked about how the day tomorrow would work. The food was delicious, and I ate until I could hardly eat anymore. Then Brian escorted me back to his truck with his hand on my lower back. I felt safe when I was with him; protected and cherished. So many things I hadn’t felt when I was with Daryl for all those years.
For one brief moment, I allowed myself to hope that maybe this marriage wou
ldn’t turn out to be fake at all.
CHAPTER 20
Brian
Falling asleep with Amanda in my arms was pure bliss. I reveled in the feeling of her nuzzling into me, and the way her leg mindlessly slipped between mine. I enjoyed having her next to me in my bed, keeping my body warm during the cold night on top of the mountain. But when I opened my eyes to take in the scent of her hair, she wasn’t there.
“Amanda?”
I opened my eyes and looked around before I sat up in bed. Her side of the bed was cold, and it caused me to jump up.
“Amanda. Where are you?”
I slipped on a pair of pants and padded out into the kitchen. The lights in the house were out, and Lanie was still sound asleep. I saw a dress hanging up in the living room that I didn’t recognize, but there was no Amanda to be found.
Where the fuck was she?
I started to panic. What if she’d changed her mind during the night and left? What if she had decided to go back to her asshole ex? What if the fire had scared her and she thought I couldn’t protect her from Lanie’s crazy father? What if she just didn’t want me? The questions ran through my head, threatening to make me crazy as I searched the house for her.
“Amanda!”
“Ssshhh. You’re going to wake Lanie.”
I looked down the hallway and saw Amanda coming through the front door. She was bundled up in a scarf and a coat, and she was cradling something in her arms. I rushed toward her and stopped just shy of the kitchen, where she dumped the cans of cinnamon rolls onto the counter.
“It’s freezing out there,” she said. “You should put on a shirt.”
She hung up her coat and scarf on the coat rack by the door. Shivering, she walked over to the cans and began rummaging around for a pan. I studied her as she prepared to make breakfast, trying to calm myself down now that she was here in front of me. She hadn’t left me. She hadn’t run away. She was here, right where she belonged.
I let out a long, relieved breath.
“Brian, are you okay?”
My eyes connected with hers as she turned toward me, her body leaning against the counter.
