Chapter 2
With that last comment, Max took a breath and calmed down a bit. I love my brother, and it's a shame it took nearly thirty years for us to find each other, because even with our five-year age difference, we are so much alike.
"Well, then, you two, May, and I have to do the rounds, and then we are going to have some quiet time before tonight's reception. I expect you both to meet us at our cabin by seven because the guests will be arriving at 6:45 for the night reception."
In a stroke of luck, Thomas and I asked, " Do you need an alarm set in case?"
Max's face went red underneath his beard, and May started to giggle. As they walked away, I muttered to Thomas under my breath, "You know they will be pregnant by the end of the year, right?"
Thomas, taking my arm, leading me to the food tables, chuckling and replied just as quietly, "End of the year, I expect us to be an Aunt and Uncle by the end of the summer."
Thomas and I loaded our plates and found a table tucked at the back of the reception area. I grabbed a pitcher of water from a passing waiter, and we settled down into our seats to start the game of who had the worst two years. We both ate a little, and then Thomas motioned for me to start. I placed my fork down, took a sip of my water, and sighed.
"Well, my craptastic year actually started a little bit further out than last May. Last February, my now ex-husband started staying out later and later. When I would say anything about it, he would always give me the excuse that he was trying for a promotion since I wanted to try for a baby, and my writing wasn't getting sales," I said. "That part was bull because I was making a bunch of money from my writing, and I had a nicely padded savings account to prove it. I could understand where he was coming from since his sister and her husband struggled a bit after they had their first child. But as my Grandma had always said, there is never a right time to have a baby. I let it go because the company he works for is highly competitive, and I understood it could be stressful with how much he really wanted this promotion. So I did what any good wife would do, and I let it go and left him be. I mean, excluding the fact that he was working a bunch of hours, nothing in our marriage was any different. We went out together, we were still having sex and trying for a baby. I mean, to be honest, I thought life was going great for us and was excited about the possibility of adding a baby to our family."
"So what happened?" Thomas asked.
"Well, two days before Valentine's Day, I started feeling really sick, and I had been so distracted by the new book that it hadn't occurred to me that I could be pregnant. I called my Doctor and made an appointment on Valentine's Day. When I got to the office, I was so excited that I was like a little kid; I could barely stay still. When the nurse came in to tell me the news, I was indeed pregnant, and I did a little happy dance in the middle of the room because I was so excited. The Doctor came in, we had my first visit, then they did an ultrasound, and they gave me the only picture of my baby I would ever have. He also told me that I was about ten weeks along, which meant I would be able to tell people soon. I was so happy at that point, I couldn't wait to tell Daniel."
Continuing, I said. "I decided, since we didn't make any plans for Valentine's Day, I would put together a surprise for when he came home from work. I first went out and purchased a baby frame that would fit the ultrasound picture. Then I went to our favorite bakery and bought Daniel's favorite carrot cake. Still feeling a little sick, I powered through, and I went all out making my famous lasagna. I even bought my first maternity dress that would take a blind man to miss that there was a baby on the way."
I stopped for a moment, I took a sip of my water, and a bite of my food. I hadn't realized it until I picked up my fork that my hand was shaking. Thomas took my hand in his and said, "It's okay, Anna, I am not judging you. If you need to stop, I would understand it's a hard thing to talk about."
I smiled and laughed."Believe it or not, that part was the easy part."
Continuing, I said, "I waited that night for Daniel to come home. I had gotten so worried, I called the office to see what was taking him so long. Finally, the night office manager, Beth, answered the phone and explained that Daniel had taken the day off and asked if everything was okay. I quickly said yes, he had to run out, and I wasn't sure if he went to the office for something. I knew right there that he had been lying to me. I went upstairs and changed into pajamas, and went back downstairs. I decided to stop waiting and put the lasagna and salad away. I unwrapped the picture frame, cut myself a huge piece of cake, and started to eat while looking at the baby's picture. It was almost midnight when he tried sneaking into the house. I was there waiting the whole time, clutching the baby's picture to my chest. I promised my little bean that no matter what, I would always protect them."
Still slightly shaking, I said, "He walked in and looked at me, then saw the flowers and the table set for dinner. He tried making some bull crap excuse. I looked at him and told him to stuff it. I knew he had taken the day off from work, and I told him he had better start explaining. He looked at me and said he had met someone and they had been seeing a lot of each other. I had asked him if she knew he had a wife. He said no, he didn't. I about fainted from shock right there. I looked him straight in the face and said, Well, you can tell him that because you couldn't keep it in your pants, not only did you lose your wife, but your child as well. I told him to get out."
"Getting up, I went into my office," I continued. "Daniel followed me as I was putting the baby's picture on my desk. He picked it up and looked at it in shock. He looked at me, then the picture, and then at me again. I told him to pack his belongings and to leave, never come back. He said the baby needs its father, to which I replied, the baby didn't need a lying, cheating bastard of a father, and if he didn't leave, I would. He left my office, and I heard him head upstairs. He made a phone call, calling his lover, begging him to let him stay with him. He told him everything while I was within hearing distance. His boyfriend understood and told him to stay with him."
Thomas asked, "He was willing to walk out that easily? Do you think he was planning on leaving anyway?"
Shrugging, I replied, "I don't know. I wouldn't find out the truth until I lost the baby. Honestly, I can understand you've been dating, but Daniel was always poor between the sheets and never finished what he started. I heard him leave the house, and the car peeled out. I called an emergency locksmith and had him change all the locks in my house. I changed all the codes to the garage doors as well, so he couldn't get in. The next morning, I contacted a friend who is a divorce attorney and started the proceedings."
With that, I looked at him and said with the straightest of faces, "Your turn."
Chapter 3
Thomas stared at me for a moment before stumbling with the words, "I know you have more than that."
"Yes, I do," I said. "However, I want to take a rest and eat more, so you get to do the talking."
He smirked before saying, "You are bossy just like your brother, you do know that, right? Never mind, of course you know that. Just give me a second."
Thomas got up and headed back to the food table. He brought us a few more plates of food on a tray with another pitcher of water. He looked up at the sky, which had gotten dark with rain clouds. Taking the first pitcher, he placed our food plates on the tray and motioned for me to follow him. He led us to my cabin porch, which was thankfully covered because the moment we stepped up onto it, the rain started to fall. We sat down, and he took a sip of water and continued.
"Right before Valentine's Day," He said. "Your brother had told me he was going to propose to May, and he had me thinking maybe I should find that special someone to spend time with, as he will be spending a lot more time with May. Don't get me wrong, I adore May; she is like the baby sister I never had. Max is like a brother to me as well, since my brother is married with a handful of kids, I really started to think about things. I went with Max to get May's engagement ring, and I was the first person they called when she said yes. Later on that week, Max said they had found you. Your brother could not be any happier than he was at that moment. He had the girl of his dreams and the sister his father told him about right before he passed. To celebrate, we went to the local tavern to have a few beers, and there, standing behind the bar was Shelly."
He chuckled as he said, "We had been to this bar so many times that I wanted to kick myself for never noticing her before. I was staring at her so hard that Max and May were goading me to ask her out. So after a few beers, I finally got up and asked her why I had never noticed her here before. She had said she had just moved to town and had only started working there a few days before. I asked her right then and there for a date, and she said yes. We started seeing each other. Things were hot and heavy really fast. Before we knew it, she was practically living in my apartment. I was head over heels for her, and she got along great with Max and May. The only thing she didn't like was when they mentioned their wedding plans or you. I have no clue why she was so bothered by you. Even her brother had not met you. As for the wedding plans, I think she was honestly jealous. Your brother had not even asked me yet to be his best man."
He stopped to drink water, then continued, "She seemed to calm down a bit when Max and May went to Tampa to meet you. I remember May sending me the video she took of you and Max meeting for the first time. She filmed it so we could see you walk up to him, and although you offered him your hand, he pulled you into the biggest bear hug ever. I almost died laughing when he jumped back when he realized you had a baby bump. You couldn't have been that far along because the bump was barely noticeable, but you are a tiny thing anyway. I swear, Max's reaction had me watching the video over and over. I even tried to show the video to Shelly, but she was mad; she did not like that I was seeing a picture of a woman that her boyfriend's best friend was showing off to him. I should have realized then how controlling she was, but with Max's excitement and the newness of our relationship, I left it alone."
"So what happened next?" I asked. "I mean, besides the jealousy, you seemed happy with her."
"I was," He sighed. "I mean, we did move a bit faster than I was used to. We slept together the first night we dated, which isn't like me. I am usually more of a gentleman. She was practically living with me by the time we were seeing each other for two months, which is also very unlike me. I am not sure if I wanted something like Max had or if it was the way things were. Your turn."
I rolled my eyes, took a sip of water, and started where I left off. "Well, as I had said, after everything that had happened Valentine's Day night, I was done. If he couldn't keep it in his pants and be with me only, then I would raise the baby on my own. That's what I intended to do as well because, to be honest with you, knowing he cheated on me left me sick as can be, and the thought of him touching me again made me feel disgusted. The next morning, I met with my friend Alex, who was shocked by what had happened. He asked the most important question: What about the baby? I told him I would be raising the baby on my own, and I didn't want a thing from Daniel. Alex tried to talk me into at least spousal support or child support, but I had made it clear I wanted nothing from him. I had owned my house outright before Daniel, and I married. The house was in my name only, so I would be keeping it when it was over. Alex promised me he would take the initial paperwork to the courthouse, and since he had a few contacts there, he would try to fast-track it. That is one of the few benefits of living in a small town. It was funny when I left Alex's office, I felt a bit lighter. Part of me was relieved that I was finally doing this, but I was also sad that it was happening. Instead of going home to work, I went shopping and picked a few baby items, along with paint swatches for the nursery. I figured if I was going to be doing this on my own, I might as well get an early start."
Sitting up straighter, I said, "When I got home that afternoon, there was a car in front of my house and a man I had never met sitting on my front steps. At first, I had thought it was Daniel's boyfriend, and god, I was ready for a fight. But when I got out of the car and turned to get my bags, the guy had walked over to me, and his first words were, 'Omg, you look like your brother.' I took a step back, shocked because my mother had told me that my dad was not really my dad shortly after he died. She wouldn't give me any more information when I asked about him, but she had said that when she and my dad first married, they had problems, so she and her friend went to Saint Augustine and rented a cabin for a few weeks. She had met a man from Florida, and they had a magical time. Actually, a few magical times, and I was the result. The guy was so sweet, he thought he had scared me to death and began talking quickly."Thomas started laughing when I told him this. I lifted an eyebrow. When he saw the look I was giving him, he tried his best to calm down and speak, which took several minutes because this was very funny to him.
"Anna," He started as he calmed down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. That guy was Sean, a friend of ours, and he had come back telling Max that next time he needs a lawyer friend to do something, make sure he does not scare some poor pregnant woman. He read Max the riot act for a few minutes before he would give Max any information. Sean's poor husband, Michael, told us that after Sean came back from seeing you, he wanted to quit doing these out-of-town trips because he never would have guessed what your reaction was."
I laughed a little before I started again, "Well, in Sean's defense, I was rather shocked to see someone come and actually say, by the way, your brother sent me to find you. I honestly had not even made a move on what my mom had told me, even though she had died two years before. Sean handled things pretty well, and he was even kind enough to help me bring in my bags of baby things. Once we got inside and dumped the bags in the hall, he followed me back to the kitchen as I put on a pot of tea. He apologized for shocking me. I had to calm him down and explain that my mother had just told me the truth two weeks before. But life got very complicated two weeks ago, and I was barely hanging on. After that, he shifted from a lawyer who didn't know what to do to a kind man who listened and even offered to handle the divorce if I needed one. I explained to him that I had a lawyer, but I appreciated the offer, and then he started to tell me about Max. He explained that Max and his fiancée, May, wanted to meet me as soon as they could, although after hearing about everything that was going on in my life, he was going to tell Max to give me some time. Sean was a sweet man and told me a lot about Max and May. He even mentioned you a few times as Max's best friend. The comment he made about you both growing up, and if there is trouble, more than likely you both are in it together; however, you have been friends for so long that you are more like brothers, which was a good thing because, up until he knew about me, he was an only child. Or felt like an only child because Max's stepsister was not very nice. Funny now because I was an only child as well, and I had always wanted a brother."
I stopped for a minute, took a sip of my water, and a bite of my food. I looked over at Thomas, who had a look on his face that I couldn't quite place, so I asked, "What's wrong?"
He ran his hands over his face and through his hair and looked back up at me, and smiled, "Nothing, Anna. It's funny listening to you say that; it made me realize how much alike you and Max really are. He always said that he had me for a brother; however, he always wished he had a true sister. I was always worried about how Max and my relationship would change once he found you, but it stayed the same, and his having you in his life makes me feel like his family is complete. Well, until they start popping out a few nieces and nephews for us to spoil."
This time it was my turn to make a face, and I tried to clear it fast, but Thomas saw it. He asked, "What is it, Anna? That was not a happy face."
"No, it wasn't," I said. "You'll understand in just a bit, though. Should I continue?"
Thomas nodded, and I continued, "Sean gave me Max's contact information, and I gave Sean mine as well. I also gave him my most recent tour schedule so he would know where I would be, especially since you all live in Tampa and I am living in New Jersey. After Sean left, I swear I held the paper with both Max's and May's info in my hand, contemplating what this would mean to my life for such a long time. I was so happy about having a brother and a soon-to-be sister-in-law, but what would Max's side of the family really think of me? I mean, here I am, a pregnant, almost-divorced woman who wrote fictional books for a living. I was a mess! It took me a few days to gather the courage to call Max. I was literally sitting at my desk, eating a pizza, and chastising myself for not calling him. He picked up after the second ring and said, 'It's about time I was thinking you wanted nothing to do with me!''
Chuckling softly, "I realized he was waiting for me to initiate the conversation to start our sibling relationship. I remember him telling May, It's my sister on the phone so many times. That first night, we must have talked for three hours straight. I ended up charging my phone during the call to keep it going. I was so excited to have a brother. The next night, I video chatted with him and May from their house. However, they never told me it was his birthday, and I was keeping him from his own party. I remember seeing Sean in the background, and you were there as well. I remember May kept trying to drag you over to the computer to introduce me, and you kept getting dragged away by someone off-screen. That night, I met quite a bit of Dad's family for the first time, and I was so stupid to feel like no one would like me because they were all as excited as Max was and kept begging me to come to Tampa. Max finally had to stand up and tell everyone that his sister, the writer, would be in Tampa in two weeks during her book tour, and we had already discussed me visiting a bit longer after I finished working. Most of the family cheered, and a boo from his mom and a few of her side of the family. That woman hates me like no tomorrow, all because the man she was married to had a child when they were not together."
Chapter 4
There was a loud thunderclap, and we both jumped. After catching my breath, I continued, "Those next two weeks were busy for me as I had to prepare for the book tour, and we had our first hearing for the divorce. Alex had picked me up that morning for court, and seeing Daniel made my heart race because there he was sitting on his side of the room with his boyfriend right behind him. I put my handbag in front of my stomach as we walked past, and I sat down. My baby bump was visible now, and I felt like I needed to protect the baby from everything that was happening. I was so scared that by the time the judge called the room to order, I was shaking. The judge was a very sympathetic older woman who listened to Alex, and then, when Daniel's attorney started talking, I was floored. Daniel had accused me of infidelity and said the baby wasn't his, and that he supported me financially, and that he wanted the house sold, and that he should get half the profits. I was thankful Alex was so thorough because he had me bring the information on the house, proof from the tax collectors, homeowners' insurance showing the money came from my personal accounts, as well as receipts showing I paid all the household bills, and all of our credit cards were indeed separate. After three hours, the judge asked me if I wanted to say anything. I stood up and said, 'Your honor, after eight years of marriage, the same day as I found out I am pregnant, I found that my husband is cheating on me, all I want is for the divorce to go through. I want no spousal support, I want no child support, although the child is his. I want him out of my life. The home is in my name, and I have always paid all its repairs, taxes, and insurance. My jeep is in my name and paid for by me. All our utilities are in my name. Daniel was very stringent on his money, and what was mine was his, and what was his was his. I want this over with, that is all. All I ask is that the next court hearing not take place till after I return from Florida in a month, as I have the next leg in my book tour, then I am going to get to know my brother and extended family I never knew about."
Smiling, I said, "Daniel jumped up and screamed, She is lying, she is an only child. The fact that Daniel had no clue about Max sent him into a fit, and Alex smiled at the judge and politely explained what was going on. She was more than willing to allow the proceedings for another month. The judge decreed that all we needed to do was see a counselor before the next hearing to make sure we are okay with what was going on, and Alex got the name of three counselors in Tampa who would see me. By the time the court hearing was over, Alex and I met up with his wife, Tina, and their daughter and had lunch at our favorite wharf diner, and then they dropped me off at my house."
Thomas said, "That must have been some court proceeding."
"It was," I said. "That night, I video chatted with just May, as you and Max had gone out for a boys' night out. I had told her that I was going to stay at a hotel while I was in Tampa, and she went off about how no sister of hers was sleeping in a hotel room, especially since she had gone and decorated the guest room for me to stay there and even bought all the snacks an expectant mommy needed. I quickly conceded and told her I would love to stay in the guest room, and said all I would need to do is rent a car to get around, to which she agreed. May is a force of nature, and I will never fight her on anything because I do not want to be on the receiving end of her storm. Two days later, I flew into Tampa and met Max for the first time. I was so nervous when I stepped off the plane, and although I was in business class, I actually stood in the hall while I gathered myself to meet him and May. When I crossed over on the tram and came out into the public area, he was the first person I saw. When we first saw each other, I was so nervous that I stuck out my hand, and he used that to pull me into a huge bear hug. It took him a moment to realize that there was a small bump between us, and he jumped back and said, 'Omg I didn't hurt the baby, did I?' I laughed so hard while shaking my head no. After that, May ran up and gathered us in one of her special hugs and started gushing about how happy she was that I was there and went on about how they were taking me to lunch and then to get my rental car."
Thomas started chuckling and added, "I always wondered what he had said when he jumped back from you that day. I remember them taking you to lunch. They had invited Shelly and me to meet you in person, but she had made plans for us mysteriously that she had forgotten about until that morning. Max's whole personality brightened when he finally met you face to face."
"So," I asked, "What happened next with you?"
Smiling, Thomas said, "After Max found you, things were calm and not too much happened. I actually had thought things were getting better for Shelly and me. Well, as you said during his birthday party, May constantly tried to get me over to the computer to introduce me to you. She felt that besides her, the two most important people in Max's life should meet, even if it was face-to-face on the computer. However, every time May grabbed my arm, Shelly would get my attention and start to say I was ignoring her or that I had to see something. So May just said that Shelly and I would meet you when you came into Tampa. That was when she had planned the whole lunch, and Shelly pretended to be all up for it until you came in. She ended up with an excuse that she had made our reservations a month ago and she had forgotten until that day. I started to get suspicious, but I really wanted it to work out with Shelly, so I played naive that morning and made my excuses to Max and May."
"Well, later that night, Max had called and said that you were feeling exhausted and asked if I wanted to meet him at the Tavern as a guys' night because May had decided to stay in with you and have some girl time," He said. "Shelly was working that night, and when I came in and met Max, she didn't seem to be happy that we were there. I told her guys' night with a few beers, and the game was on. That's when Max had made a big deal about how he got tickets to your book panel, you were doing along with three other writers, and said we had to join him and May. He told Shelly some of the most popular paranormal writers at the moment were attending and that he would be so upset if she couldn't make it. Well, as it was a public event, she was all up for it, and since some famous people were going to be there, she was hoping to brush a few elbows."
Smiling, he said, "The morning of your first book panel, we met up with Max and May, as you were already at the event site. Shelly was happy to be in such a lavish hotel. I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. Max handed me a beer the moment I stepped up and led us to these awesome seats in the front. That's when I got my first glimpse of you in person. I know this is going to sound crazy, but you looked adorable. You were wearing a pale yellow sweater and a blue dress, and you looked like a mommy-to-be model you see in magazines. May whistled for you, and you looked over at us and waved, smiling with this amazing, bright smile. The lights dimmed, and you took your place on stage with the other writers. Shelly looked at you, poked me, saying, 'Take a picture, it will last longer.'"
May leaned over and said to Shelly, 'Isn't she awesome? I so want to steal that dress from her, it's not even maternity, just has a loose center, so she has room to move.'
Shelly's smile started to get more forced, but she didn't ask to leave or pretend to be sick. Max was so proud of you during the panel, as news of the baby and pending divorce was out, and people were very much wanting details. But I was impressed you were handling it like a champ and replied ever so nicely that a statement would be up on your blog later on that week, and you would like to answer questions about the book or charitable causes you were working on. When the panel started doing giveaways, the fun you were having had all of us laughing. You guys were tossing out prizes and giving out free books, then the host of the event said that there was a bonus surprise from you, and you could have heard a pin drop. That's when you stood up, and the host brought out a box of books. You held one up. You had announced that in your hands was the sequel to your book, 76 Ghosts, and you had 20 to give away signed during a special meet and greet later that afternoon, and the special meet and greet was completely by chance for 40 people plus. The first 20 people to arrive with their ticket would get a signed copy of the new book, and you told people to check under their seats. You would have thought you guys were giving away cash because people were going crazy, and since there were no seats left, those tickets were like winning the lottery. During that, Max leaned over and said We are already invited to the meet and greet, we just don't get to participate in the book lottery.
Then May giggled some and said, 'Besides, we have copies at home already for Max and me, one for you as well, Thomas.'
By the time the chaos had ended, you had forty happy couples out of the four hundred people who were there. After you were done and the other authors did their meet and greet contests, a security guard came up and said to follow him to the back so Max and May could join you. We all followed with a small group of people and were taken into a room with a bunch of high school students who had won a national contest with the publishing company that handles your book. I will admit I admired you that day and said so to Max and May. I adored how you made it a point to talk with the high school students and hear what they had to say. Then you took a box out and signed 30 books right there for the kids you met and handed them backpacks, which I found out had laptops, cameras, and goodies to help them continue on in their projects. You guys were an amazing group."
I smiled and then stood up and stretched, watching the rain as I started speaking, "Those kids are super talented, and I was glad to have participated with the Authors of the tour. I remember meeting you after talking to the kids as well. When I first met you, you seemed to be everything that my brother had said. Yours and Max's closeness was quite evident from just watching you with him. That's why I never said anything about Shelly to him or you because I didn't want to borrow trouble."
"What about Shelly?" He asked, concerned. "Oh god, after seeing her true colors, what did she do to you?"
Chapter 5
"That night at the private event, do you remember how Max said we should all go together, and you jumped at the chance, but Shelly wanted to use your car?" I started as Thomas nodded. "Well, Max and May just wanted us to go together, and after some time of signing the books, eating, and mingling, I excused myself to the bathroom. Well, Shelly followed me in there to have a word with me. She was pissed that you were being so nice to me, and to realize that no one would want to be with some knocked-up bitch. I looked at her and told her I had no clue about what she was talking about and that it was important to my brother that I get to know you because we were always going to be connected in each other's lives, neither of us was going to leave my brother. That's when she replied, 'We will see about that.'"
Thomas stood up and started pacing. "Anna, I am so sorry, especially since you were pregnant at the time. I would have never guessed she would have done that. But that would explain why she took so long to come home that night. I think that night started a downhill spiral, though, with her. You see, even though we had met up with Max, May, and you while you visited in Florida. Shelly started acting very moody and acting rudely. Do you remember the dinner that Max and May took us to at the high-end restaurant to ask us to be the best man and Matron of Honor? Well, Shelly wasn't originally supposed to be there. When Max had told her that he was going to ask me to be the best man, she insisted that she come with them to share in my excitement. Max had told her that he really only wanted you and me there so they could both ask us and to tell us they scheduled the wedding for after you had the baby, so the baby could be there as well. Shelly would have none of it, though, and she begged May to let her come. I remember when we arrived at the restaurant, and Max, May, and you showed up. Shelly was so upset because you and May looked fabulous in your outfits. Shelly had insisted on wearing a short clubbing dress that I had asked her to change from, but she insisted that the dress was fit for that restaurant. But you and May were both dressed up in these amazing dresses. I almost laughed because I could have sworn you guys went and bought almost matching dresses... Wait... Did you guys go out and buy almost matching dresses?"
I nodded, laughing, "Yes, we had a girls-only shopping day, and she insisted we get dresses that almost matched. She said we could wear them again when we did wedding stuff together. I will be honest, as much as we discussed the wedding, I never thought she would ask me to be her Matron of Honor. But after these last few months, I couldn't live without her. She was there for me when I couldn't go to my brother about things. When I cried, she would be there for me, listening to my blabbering, and when I saw her on and off before the wedding, so I could help with wedding details, or even the weekend we went up to where the wedding was being held for a girls' weekend was like I was with my sister instead of my sister in law."
"But you're right," I said. "That night that they took us to the Bourbon Palace was amazing. They put so much thought and consideration into asking us to be the Matron of Honor and best man, even though they should have known that we would say yes anyway. They went all out. I will admit I felt bad for Shelly when we were there because the night was about you and me. Max and May had planned the whole dinner around that, and you could tell that they added her seat at the last minute at the end of the table. I mean, even the menu was all preset because it was our favorite foods and drinks, and she didn't have a choice about what was going on. I thought it became even worse for her when they said the wedding was also going to be an out-of-town weekend event during the four-day Labor Day weekend, with things that both you and I were to be in attendance at alone. Then, some things were family only, no dates allowed. When Max said that, you could see the scowl crease her forehead. When she heard it was at the Georgia Falls Resort, you could see her go green with envy. May said that this is the place that Max proposed to her at, and it's also the site of their first vacation they took together a year earlier than that."
Thomas looked at me and nodded, "Trust me, I heard all about it later that night when we got home. She was so upset that May had asked you to be her Matron of Honor when she and May had gotten to be friends since they met. Or how I would have to spend time with you, where she couldn't be there to supervise us. That was the night of our first of many fights and arguments. I explained to her that she had nothing to worry about between me and you. That, for god's sake, you were going to be carrying an infant around, and please forgive me that your little one would be just a few weeks old and you wouldn't even have been able to do anything like that even if we pursued each other. She started calling me cheap and yelling at me, saying that I never took her anywhere. I explained to her that my job required me to be on the job a lot and that I couldn't just take off and go places. Plus, I had been trying at the time to finish paying off my car, which I did literally two weeks later, which was a huge expense that I was glad to be done with. What she didn't know was I was padding my savings account so I could afford to take a week off and take her on a cruise, and that would mean we would need passports, plus I know cruising is not cheap because I have been on some before I met her."
Nodding, I agreed, "I have been on a few book tour cruises, and you are right, they are quite expensive."
Agreeing, he continued, "I remember the week you went to leave, Max was so sad he met me at my office with food and had told me he was worried about what would happen to you when you went home. He had said that since he and May worked the whole time you were here, they were going up to visit you shortly after you went back home. Max's job is pretty great, but he worked hard during high school and college, and when the game programming company hired him straight out of college, he lucked out because as long as he has his computer and internet, he can take the time off. May is the same; being an editor, she can work anywhere as well, so they can take a vacation and work where they want. The same goes for you, I mean, Max told me you were working on your next book at the house while he and May were at work. I wish I had that type of job flexibility at the time. Well, it's funny because now I have that type of flexibility, don't I?"
I gave him a confused look, and he said, "Sorry, I didn't realize you didn't know. The day you left, I was called into my boss's office, and he handed me an envelope and told me they were letting me go. I had been with the company for five years, and they were letting me go. They gave me a nice severance and told me that I could pack up my office and leave. When I asked why I was being let go, they said that since it was Florida, they didn't have to give me a reason except the fact that they were terminating my position. I got home after dropping the check in the bank and stopped at the florist to get Shelly flowers because she was going to have to help with bills until I got a new job. When I got home that day, there was a strange car in my driveway. I figured it was a friend of Shelly's car, so I just let myself into the house. I walked in and heard noises from the bedroom, and when I walked in, there was Shelly in bed with the VP of accounting from the company I was fired from. She looked at me and then screamed GET OUT. I was so pissed, I looked at her and said she had twenty minutes to get dressed and pack her shit, and I would be back. I got in my car and drove to the park up the road and called Max. He and May found me fifteen minutes later and followed me back to the house. When I got there, she was packing her clothes in her suitcase and told me she would be back for her stuff later that day. I told her that the only stuff that was hers was her clothes and her computer, and to take it now, everything else was here before she moved in. I also told her to give me my key back. When she went into her purse, my credit cards I kept in my safe, as well as the cash I kept in there, fell out. May grabbed the bag and ran into the bathroom. I went to the safe and it was empty. All my jewelry, cash, and cards were gone. I looked at her, and she shrugged and said I'm calling the cops if she doesn't give me my purse. May came out two minutes later with the trash can full of my cards, jewelry, and cash, and handed me the can. Then she handed Shelly her purse and said, 'If I find out you charged anything to those cards, I have friends who work in the police force, as Thomas never added you on them. If his checking or savings accounts lose money, I will call the police. Is that clear? GET OUT NOW."
She left, and I took the cards and started going through them, and realized that there were a few missing. I grabbed the file I had with all my accounts and sat down. Max and May sat with me and called the numbers on the back of the cards, and after a while, we discovered she had stolen from my accounts and cards. Then, if it couldn't have gotten any worse, she had stolen cash and jewelry as well. I called the police, and they started a case against her and went to find her because the jewelry log was just signed off on by a friend who does insurance, not even two days earlier. When all was done, after Max, May, and I called all the accounts I had for insurance and investments, credit cards, lines of credit, excetra, she had stolen close to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. When asked how she hid it from me, she laughed and said that the bar job was just a cover, and she had her own house in St Pete. We discovered she had done this before, but this is the first time she had been caught. The police searched her home with the pictures of the missing jewelry, so I got that back, as well as the cash I was missing, to which she admitted was mine. May and Max have been great in helping me. I had sixty-three accounts between all the types of accounts, and she hit each and every one. The only thing she didn't touch was my checking and savings accounts because those accounts send me a text message every time there is a transaction. I have only been able to clear about three or four accounts. She has a choice: she can pay restitution for what she had stolen, or go to jail. Right now, she is looking at 15 years in prison."
I said, "Oh, Thomas, I am so sorry."
"It all works out," He said. "So, after all of this happened and losing my job when my lease was up, Max and May had me come stay with them to get back on my feet. May also gave me a job lead, and I am now working for an accounting company that lets me telecommute after I finished my training, and I am loving it. Wow, I also just talked your ear off."
I smiled and started where he left off, "You know they didn't want to leave you here alone when they were coming up to my house to see me. May and Max were so worried about you and how you were handling things after everything that Shelly had done to you. But I am glad they were there with you instead of with me because I was afraid of what Max would have done when I went to court for our final divorce proceeding."
It was his turn to give a weird look. I filled in the blanks, "The day I got back home, Alex and his wife came over, and Alex had a pile of papers he needed to go over with me. Daniel was not happy that he didn't get what he wanted at the final divorce proceedings, and Alex had to go into overdrive with motions because he kept coming at me with everything he had. I kept it all from Max and May while I was down there, but he started some pretty crazy stuff. He changed the whole baby isn't his to him, and his partner wanted to have the baby since I traveled on and off for a living. When the judge said no and we could share custody, he then went back to what he wanted, my home, and he even pulled all his receipts from the vacations we took, including the honeymoon, saying that the last eight years of his life were a sham, and he wanted retribution on all the trips we took together. The judge said no, and he has had Alex running in circles, fighting every motion there was. Thank god I pay that poor man by the year because he has earned every penny and then some. Normally, I am the quiet client who only comes for the legal stuff when my books get published. The next day was the court hearing for the divorce, and Alex made it clear that he would be there first thing in the morning to come to get me. When he got to my house the next morning, his wife Tina was with him for moral support, he said. He was afraid to leave me alone, with me being almost five months along and Daniel on the warpath.'
"What happened?" He asked.
Smiling, I said, "The judge was as kind as ever, even saying that Florida had agreed with me. When she read over the new set of papers that Daniel's lawyer handed her, she had a sense of humor. Daniel had decided that I owed him spousal support and alimony because he had to take so much time from his job to deal with all the ramifications of the proceeding trial and divorce. The judge looked at me and commented that I had a wonderful pregnancy glow about me, and she hoped that I got to know my extended family, and everything else turned out to be a wonderful vacation. I nodded yes and told her the book tour went well in Florida and that later that month we would be doing the second-to-last leg in New York, finishing the tour in New Jersey, so I could be close to home with the baby's due date coming closer. She got to business and ended our marriage, stating that I would not be paying anything to Daniel and that once the baby was born, Daniel could have visitation with him or her with me weekly because the baby needed to be with his or her mama since I was going to nurse. Then, when the baby turned a year, Daniel could have every other weekend, and we would set up with the court a holiday schedule. Daniel was so pissed and said Well, don't expect me to pay for that brat at all because I never wanted it. The judge then said that after the baby was born, he could sign away all parental rights. The look on his face toward me was nothing but pure hatred."
"The judge slammed her gavel, and it was finally over," I said. "Alex and Tina took me out the side entrance of the courthouse, where Alex had his car waiting, and we headed to the restaurant, as we all wanted to celebrate. We had been on the road maybe ten minutes when Alex said Oh no. Tina had been sitting in the back with me, talking so we wouldn't bother Alex's driving. Tina looked up and asked what was wrong, and he said for both of us to make sure we were seatbelted in tight. He told Tina he loved her and told us both to hang on. What he didn't tell us until after was that after we had gotten on the highway, his SUV started to lose brakes, and his engine was acting weird. He used his hands-free in the car as he was starting to hit a grassy area, trying to slow the car down to call 911 and let a dispatcher know what was going on. He started pulling to the driver's side and started running the SUV into the cement barrier. Tina and I were bracing ourselves, but we knew how bad it was. I put my hand on my belly and hoped that we would make it out of this alive. Police cars found us riding the wall, and then the worst thing happened, and the engine revved, and Alex started cursing. We hit a ditch, and he tried keeping the car upright, but we lurched to the left and the car slid fifty yards and came to a stop in three feet of mud and water. It was a miracle that Tina and Alex walked away with bruises and cuts. As for me, I was knocked unconscious."
Chapter 6
"Do you want to stop Anna?" Thomas asked, taking my hand.
I shook my head and kept going, "When I woke up, May was sitting there next to me, and my belly was gone. I had a fractured wrist, and they had to do an emergency C-section to get my baby out because I had started to hemorrhage. May handed me the frame she had put the baby's hand and foot prints in, as well as a tiny picture the nurse had taken of the baby wrapped up in a blanket with a premie hat on. Max had been at the funeral home arranging everything so I wouldn't have to. The baby had died in the crash, and the nurse who had been in the delivery room had taken her footprint and handprints for me since they were not sure how long I would be unconscious. The Nurse had talked to Max and May when they arrived, and they put Lilly Grace on the birth certificate. That was the girl's name I had chosen when we had gone shopping one day. During the delivery, they discovered I had more damage than they originally thought. The doctor says that it would take a miracle for me to ever become pregnant again, but he wasn't going to be the one to take away my chances."
"Later that afternoon, when Max came back, he explained I had been unconscious for a week, and they had to move Lilly to the funeral home. He knew it was my wish to be cremated if anything had ever happened to me, so he arranged everything since the doctor said it would be a while before I was getting out of the hospital." I said.
Thomas looked up to look at me as he took my hand and led me to a chair before he started, "I remember the day of the accident pretty well. Max and May had tried talking me into going most of the morning with them to come to see you, since they were going to be there later that week anyway. I kept saying that I didn't want to intrude on you, especially with what a big week it was and how May had had plans to help you finish the nursery. She was also making plans to meet your friends so she could arrange a surprise baby shower. We were all working from home that day, and when Max's phone rang, he brightened up because he was waiting for you to call him and let him know how the court hearing had gone. We heard the end of his conversation, which started to worry us, and then he said, Do whatever you need to keep her alive, We will be on the next flight out. He grabbed May and said, Pack now, and then to me. He threw his wallet and said, 'Find us the next set of seats out of Tampa to Anna.' May followed him upstairs, trying to get him to talk as and I got online, finding last-minute seats to Newark from Tampa. I packed up both of their laptops, and by the time they were downstairs, I handed Max his wallet and asked what was going on because he still hadn't said anything. He slowed down just enough to say that you were in a bad accident and were heading into emergency surgery. I grabbed my car keys and their tickets and got them to TIA with just enough time for them to get through security and make their flight."
Thomas continued, "Later that night, he called me from the hospital, telling me that your friend Alex had given him the keys to the house a little bit after you came out of surgery and gave Max and May your belongings and a frame for the picture of Lilly. The nurse had taken a picture of foot and hand prints before they sent Lilly down to the morgue. He said I needed to call his dad's side of the family and let them know what was going on. They were still unsure if you were going to make it, and if you did make it, what was going to happen when you woke up. When the car flipped to its side, you hit the side of the car pretty hard. You were pretty messed up and had suffered a fractured wrist and a few cracked ribs. With the first exam, they thought that you and Lilly were okay, and they set you up in the ICU just so you could be monitored. After about an hour, your blood pressure and heart rate plummeted, and they rushed you into emergency surgery. Alex was going to call Max anyway, but they wanted to talk to the doctor to give him a real report. You hemorrhaged, and the Doctor did everything he could to save both you and Lilly. The doctor said later on that Lilly survived for ten minutes, but without an autopsy to tell, he thinks she had internal damage as well. The doctor had to do a lot to fix the damage you had in you, and you were just coming out of surgery when Max and May got there."
"Max asked how the accident happened," Thomas said. "Alex said the police were investigating it. It wasn't until three days later that, after the car was towed back to the police compound, they discovered that the brake line was messed with, as well as the engine. The courthouse video feed shows a man messing with the car shortly after you went into the courthouse. At first, they didn't notice it, but a new detective caught a brief view of the person and was able to zoom in and see what had happened. They were still investigating who was behind it. He told me that he was taking May to the house so she could get some sleep, and he could wash up, and he was going to come back to the hospital to be with you. Max had taken your car back after checking to make sure nothing was wrong with it, and May had called me. She was a wreck. She was worried about Max, and Max was frantic about you. The Doctors had to put you in an induced coma so your body could heal a bit, but they were going to stop the drugs in 48 hours and let you wake naturally. I called everyone on Max's dad's side of the family, and I swear you never have to worry about not having a family because they love you so much. May had asked if I could come up to be there for them, but the courts down here were moving forward in their case against Shelly, and there would be a preliminary trial later on in the week. However, I told her that if they needed me, I would be on the next flight out. She told me to have a bag ready and could make sure I had Max's black suit and her black funeral dress ready in case. I realized right then how serious things were and told her I was on my way. She said no, just be ready in case. She asked me to call all our jobs and let them know that they would try to work remotely this week, and their jobs were more than accepting of what was going on. My job was great, and they said if I needed to go to them, let the company know, and they would lessen my workload as well."
"Later on that week, Max called to tell me your ex-husband, Daniel, was arrested for arranging the damage on Alex's car," He said. "When he was arrested, he was trying to get on an international flight out of Orlando with his boyfriend. Apparently, he thought that if something were to happen to you and the baby, then he would get everything from your estate. He hired a man to mess with Alex's car, and if that had not worked, he was going to hire a hitman. His boyfriend didn't know anything about it and was in shock that Daniel would even do such a thing. What convinced the police of his innocence was that he had said he told Daniel they could have helped you raise the baby, and that when he found out that Lilly had died, he had a breakdown and actually jumped over the desk to go after Daniel. Even though it wasn't biologically his, he was willing and able to be a male role model in the baby's life."
I breathed in a deep breath and continued from there, "Max went to his arraignment shortly after I woke up with May. The prosecutor in charge of the case was a friend of Alex's from law school, and he was doing everything in his power to make sure that Daniel got what he deserved. They were going after three charges of attempted murder and one charge of murder for Lilly, since she did survive for a few minutes outside of me. They called Daniel's very ex-boyfriend, Scott, up to the stand and questioned him about his knowledge and why he thought they were going out of the country. Scott had said that Daniel had told him that they were celebrating his divorce with a trip to London. When they were going through security and were asked to step aside, it was the first time he saw Daniel start to get anxious. Daniel actually thought he had gotten away with everything. Then, when the police came and took them to a private security area and they videotaped the whole questioning session. As they questioned Daniel and Scott, it started to dawn on Scott what was going on. He told the judge that after the court hearing, he had told Daniel that they should wave the white flag so he wouldn't lose getting to know the baby. When he found out what happened to me and that Lilly had died in the process, he went to beat the shit out of Daniel. It took four police officers to pull him off of Daniel as he screamed and yelled How could you? We could have had a family."
"Wait, he wanted to help you co-parent?" Thomas asked.
I nodded, "After the dust settled, Scott sent me a letter in the mail and said that if he had known in the beginning that Daniel was married, he would never have dated him. He also begged my forgiveness because if he had any inclination of what was happening after the court hearing, he would have gone right to the police. He had said if there was anything he could ever do for me, that I shouldn't hesitate to ask. He was and is honestly sorry for what his relationship with Daniel did to my life. Want to hear the weird thing? After I healed in the hospital and was able to go out by myself, I ran into Scott while going to order food, and he asked to buy me lunch."
"Seriously, you had lunch with him?" Thomas interrupted.
I waved my hand in the air to hush him as I continued, "Yes, I did have lunch with Scott, and we sat and ate our food for a good two hours as we talked. Scott is a very nice man, and he honestly did not know about me until I kicked Daniel out. When I threw him out that first night, he went to Scott's place, and they talked. Daniel had lied about how I was a freeloader, and I never did anything but hide in my office and push out book after book of drivel."
Thomas said, "I guess he cleared up the facts with you?"
Nodding again, "Scott had fallen for him, and the next day he did a search on me and realized I was not the person that Daniel had said, but he was in love with him, so he stayed with him. When the first court appearance happened, Scott saw that I was indeed pregnant and showed he had made up his mind to convince Daniel that they could be a family with me, and we could all raise Lilly as a parenting unit. At first, Daniel had been angry about the idea, but then he had said he would talk to his lawyer about it. When it was never mentioned in court, Scott realized that Daniel had played him. Once the accident happened and they were taken into custody, Scott realized what was really happening. When he snapped, all he saw was red, and he wanted to punish Daniel. There is actually a YouTube video of Scott packing a suitcase of Daniel's basics, and then the rest of his belongings going into a bonfire while partying with friends. He sent me the video and time-stamped where he made sure I would see Daniel's most prized Armani Suit that went up in flames."
Thomas had looked out across the woods my cabin sat in for a moment and sighed, "Anna, I wish I had come out there for you. You needed someone who could be anything you needed, instead of your brother and May babying you. Don't get me wrong, I know your brother is a strong person and May is going to be a great mom someday, but you needed to have someone there to not baby you but to hold your hand and listen without smothering."
"Thomas," I started, "Don't you think that you are taking the whole I am your brother's best friend a bit too seriously?"
"You would think so, wouldn't you, Anna? What if I told you that my ex was a bit right and that I am a bit fascinated with you? I mean, I followed you into the woods as soon as we were able to leave the ceremony, and here we are listening to each other's life stories. It's been months since Daniel went to prison, and over a year since you lost Lilly. I have stood back and waited, but to be honest with you, I would really like to date my best friend's sister!" Thomas continued, "The thing is I know your brother and May are okay with all of this because I discussed this with them but I need to know if your okay with knowing that I am falling for you regardless of the craziness that we have been through I am happy you came into my life and I don't ever want you to leave it."
Chapter 7
I was so shocked that I just plopped down on the settee that was next to me, and Thomas came over and knelt down in front of me. I didn't realize until his fingers brushed away the first of my tears that I was crying. That's when he pulled me into a hug and chuckled into my hair, "I must be really bad at discussing my feelings because I never intended to make you cry."
I looked up into his eye, and I could tell he was being honest about everything he had said, so I threw caution to the wind and leaned in and kissed him. The kiss was hesitant at first for both of us, then it gained momentum as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me closer to him. The kiss was like a healing wave that both of us needed and would have lasted a lot longer if it wasn't for May's voice piping up behind Thomas, "Well, it's about fucking time."
I tried not laughing as Thomas said through a strained voice, "What can we do for you, May?""Well, dear, you both were supposed to meet us twenty minutes ago to start getting ready for the formal reception, and since neither of you showed up at the suite on time, I figured I would come to find you since Max is a tad bit worn out. Be thankful it was me instead of him. He would have scared the bejesus right out of you. Now come along, you two, it's time to go get ready for the fun time at the reception." May stood there taping her shoe as I tossed my day bag into my cabin and locked the door behind me. The server who was there bringing us water earlier was now collecting our plates, and Thomas stood there a little unsure of what to do. I was up next to him and slid my hand into his and gave it a squeeze. He smiled and squeezed my hand back as May dragged us back to her and Max's suite to get ready in the formal attire they had picked out for us for the reception.
My sister-in-law is amazing, but she is also extremely blunt! As we got back to her and Max's suite, she walked in and said so Max could hear her, "It's okay, I found them, they were on the porch at Anna's cabin snogging."
I love May. Se is perfect for Max. "Wow, Max, you sure you want this one forever. She sure has a mouth on her."
Max swung May around and said, " I love this woman's smart mouth."
Thomas chuckled, "It's funny when they first met, she wanted to wring his neck. Now, after a few years, he had grown on her."
May smiled and cuddled into Max and said, "Well, you know, Max was very persistent for a very long time. I could not say no.'
I laughed, "So are you saying that my brother wore you down?"
Max laughed, "Well, you know good things are worth chasing after."
There was a knock at the door. May went to answer the door, and when she came back, she had Max's mom and stepsister in tow. She looked at Thomas and me and said, "I thought that this was going to be a family gathering?"
May looked at Max's mom and said, "Donna, now I told you that this shit won't fly. If you want to be a bitch you can leave and not come back. Anna is Max's sister, and Thomas is his best friend."
"Max, sweetheart, you might want to get your wife to obey." His mom said.
Max came over and put his arms around May's waist and said, "She isn't a dog and did not use the word obey in her wedding vows. If you don't like who is here, Mom, leave, and if you say one more awful thing to anyone, I will have you removed."
She turned on me and said, "All of this has always been your fault. If Max's father had just obeyed me, then you would have never existed, and you would never have ruined everyone's life."
She raised her hand to hit me when Max stepped forward and said, "That's enough, mother. None of this is Anna's fault. You and Dad were separated well before Anna was conceived. You are not an innocent angel in any of this. So, before you start casting stones, you might want to look in the mirror. I let you stay for the fun reception, do not make me regret it."
She looked at him and then to me and said, "You know what, have the life you deserve. I am done with this crap, Max. You have a whore of a sister and a wife who will leave you. I wash my hands of you and this mess."
She turned and grabbed Max's stepsister's arm and said, "Let's go find your father and get out of this dump. Who would have thought someone would have a trash wedding like this anyway?"
I stepped in her way and said, "Listen, you are going to give up on everything because Max and my dad couldn't stand you. I have a letter from my dad with the real reason he was with my mom. Do not cause trouble for Max, or he will find out everything. Are we clear about this?"
She stopped cold in her tracks and said, "No."
"I think you should apologize to everyone for being a bitch and go back to your cabin till later and think about your actions," I said, stepping out of the way.
She turned to Max and May and said, "I am sorry, Max, May. I will go back to my cabin now."
Max came up next to me and said, "You read the letter from Dad."
Looking up, I said, "I needed to know. My mom and your dad needed each other when they met. He never thought I would be a result. But also do not read the letter unless you want to know the truth about everything your mom did, because she is lucky I don't drag her down to the cliffs and push her off. I understood his reasoning, even if I didn't agree with him not being in my life."
May asked, "Anna, how bad is it?"
"What she did to our dad, my mom, and other people is downright horrible and illegal in some cases. If certain things are investigated, your Mom would go to prison," I said
Max gave me a hug and said, "Mom can get over it, you are my sister and I am your brother."
May stood up and said, "Well, now that that is finished, why don't we get down to the matter at hand. I expect you both back in your party clothes in 20 minutes and no hanky panky. I want a few minutes alone with my husband."
Thomas and I headed towards our cabins and went to get changed. Thomas met me in front of the cabin and whistled, "Wow, Anna, you look amazing."
I straightened his tie and said, "Well, you don't look so bad yourself."
We walked back to meet Max and May. When we did, we saw police at their cabin. Moving a little faster, we saw May, and she said, "Let them through, they are with us."
Thomas asked, "What happened?"
"Max's mom called the police on us and said we threatened her," She said.
I looked at her and looked at Max, who was talking with an officer, "Max, do you want me to discuss this with them?"
Max said, "She crossed the line, Anna. I wish you had your letter."
"Well, big brother, I do have it. Officer, may we have a word before this escalates any further?" I asked.
The officer looked at me and said, "Shit, you're the writer Anna Worthington?"
Smiling, I said, "Shhh, secret identity this weekend of the groom's sister."
The officer, his partner, and I walked over to a set of chairs. I explained everything that had happened. I then took out the letter my dad wrote me, and the officer read it. He kept muttering holy shit, you've got to be kidding me and then laid out the letter and took pictures of the letter from start to finish. By then, Max joined me, and the officer said, "Son, I am so sorry that you went through this on your wedding day. You do realize that your mom is in a bit of trouble."
"I understand, sir." He said as the officer grabbed his deputies and left to go see Donna. Max stopped me and pointed to the chair. He held out his hand and said, "It's time."
I handed him the letter, and he read it from start to finish. After he finished reading, he said, "She is no longer in my life after today. All the things in that letter make so much more sense to me than to you. It clears up a lot of what happened in my dad's life as well."
We heard screams and yells as we saw Max's mom being led out of her cabin in handcuffs. May's parents came running over from their cabin in various states of getting ready, and May's mom, Helen, said, "Well, shit, I missed the fireworks."
Everyone started laughing as May gave a Cliff Notes version reading the letter. Helen looked at Thomas and me and pulled us into a hug, saying, "That Bitch. Well, I am your Mama now as well, you two. You're part of our family. Now let's finish getting ready, we're partying tonight to celebrate my son, daughter, and everyone here."
No one wanted to argue with Helen. For a short, petite woman, she is fierce and scary. We finished getting ready and headed to the main cabin, where it had been transformed into a 1940s nightclub. We spent the night eating off the buffet and sipping drinks Max and May chose, and having a great time. The owner of the resort joined us and allowed the guests to stay and mingle after the party, and switched to a cash bar. The last of the guests left the party in the early hours of the morning.
Chapter 8
The following morning, I woke up to knocking at my door, and it was Helen. I opened the door and invited her in, and she sat down and asked, "Are you okay?"
Sitting down next to her, I said, "To be honest, I feel horrible about how she acted on Max and Mays' wedding day. I wish I could have prevented all that for them."
Chuckling, she said, "Sweetie, when Max found you, he was over the moon. No one blames you for anything; his mom is a bitch, plain and simple. I did want to ask about the letter May talked about?"
I got up and got it out of my bag. Handing it to her, I said, "Please do not say anything to Max, but I think he will need a lot of support in the upcoming months."
She nodded and read the letter. She gave the same reaction that the police officer did the night before, as she said, "You have got to be kidding me. She hid all of this all these years and thought her behavior was appropriate? Don't worry, sweet girl, Papa and I are here for both of you, and you will always have a family with us."
She pulled me into a hug and said, "You know what, I am starving. How about you and I beat everyone to breakfast? It's a mix between American and Korean dishes."
Laughing, I said, "Food!"
We headed to the buffet in our pajamas, and by the time everyone else started trickling in, we were on our third trip to the buffet. May took one look at Helen and me eating and said, "Well, I guess you both are the only early risers in the whole group."
I looked up and said, "Buffet food is the best, and when your mom asked me to join her, who was I to say no?"
Helen looked up and said, "My sweet daughter, I left you to your husband and decided that I would kidnap my new daughter and have her join me instead. She is way too skinny and needs to eat. But with as much as she has eaten so far, I am shocked she is so skinny."
She took my hand and patted it as we ate. May looked at me with a wide grin and said, "Anna, so you are aware my mom will never let you go. Anytime you're in town or have an event for a book tour, she will be there for you. She will be right up front and clapping the loudest. Welcome to our family."
I gave a wide grin and kept eating as Helen said, "I know I will never replace your mom, but I will still be there where it counts. Besides, who better to have as a mom than me? I have a lot of free time."
Thomas walked in looking like he had five minutes of sleep that night. He walked over and placed his jacket next to me. Dropped a kiss on my head and headed to the buffet. I laughed and poured him a coffee as he came back.
He took the coffee and said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," I said as I continued to eat.
Mama looked at me and asked, "Anna, now that your divorce is complete and that monster is going to prison. Why don't you move down to Florida and be near family?"
I smiled and said, "Well, that's something to think about."
May looked at me and then at her mom. She said, "She is hiding something."
Thomas's head turned to the food and said, "Look at that new rice."
Mama looked at me and said, "Spill it."
"I was going to surprise you all later this week," I said. "Thomas has been helping me, and I came in two days early and bought a house in the Withlacoochee forest. It's a beautiful three-bedroom cabin, with a wrap-around porch and on six acres. Plus, there is a fishing dock as it's at the end of the river and on a lake."
Mama took my hand and said, "We need to see it."
Squeezing her hand, I said, "After we leave here today, I'm going to go to the property. Everyone can join me. Max and May, will you have time getting ready to leave for your honeymoon cruise?"
May sat down and said, "Oh yeah, we do not leave till tomorrow night."
Chapter 9
Thomas helped me load my bags into his car, and we headed to my new home in Florida. A few hours later, when we pulled up to the property, I laughed and said, "I cannot believe I own this place. Can you feel the peace and calmness here?"
Thomas took my hand and said, "It is a remarkable place. Personally, I cannot wait for you to move in here. It will make it a lot easier to come see you. Do not worry, as you pack and ship everything from the other house, I will be here to make sure it's taken inside. Just make sure you label which room you want it in."
We got out, and May, Max, and Helen got out of their cars. Helen looked around and said, "Anna, this is beautiful."
May came up and hugged me, saying, "Oh yeah. I see a lot of family parties here."
When we went into the cabin, Helen was stunned by how beautiful it was inside. She looked at it and asked, "Anna, what are you going to do for furniture?"
"I have that covered," I said. "I have a friend who will be driving to Florida a few times due to work in the next few weeks. He and his co-worker offered to drop off a van full each time they come down. What is left will be packed into my SUV or by a moving company."
"Who is going to meet your friends?" She asked.
Thomas looked up and said, "I offered to meet Ben and his coworker each time they come down. That way, we can get everything into the rooms they need to be in."
Helen nodded and said, "So Anna, how about a tour?"
"Well, we are in the gourmet kitchen attached to the dining nook," I said. "This is the sunken living room with this stone fireplace. To the left is the master suite, his and her closets, and a master bath with a shower, tub, and double sinks. Going the other way holds two bedrooms with a Jack and Jill bathroom. The room to the front, facing the lake, is my office, and it also has sliding glass doors to the deck. Come on out the doors, this is an amazing deck. It faces the river and the lake. If you follow it around to the side of the house, I have a private section on the balcony with a hot tub that is sunk into the porch. It also has a privacy trellis with ivy grown on it. The previous owner also added built-in lounge chairs and a table between the two."
Helen was in awe and said, "I will come spend the night when you are settled and cook for you if you will let me use my paddleboard on the lake and river."
I laughed and said, "I will make sure you all get the gate code before you leave. You can visit here whenever you want. So let's go down this path."
Everyone followed me, and I continued, "Halfway down this path is a pavilion with a grill and built-in patio tables. When I move in, I will be thinning out the grass and bushes to see what is hidden out there. But at the end of the walkway is this dock. I also have a gated boat dock to keep the property private."
Max said, "Well, little sister, I know if you're okay with it, I would love to leave my fishing boat here. This water has prime fishing, and I know May would love to have my boat out of the driveway."
"You sure can," I said. "I should be moved in fully in the next three months. Once I get home, my days will be writing, purging, and packing."
Helen said, "You have been planning this for a while?"
"Yes," I said. "I have nothing back in New Jersey for me. I am ready to settle down and make a new home."
Everyone visited for a while. Then it was time for Max and May to leave. Hugging May and Max, I said, "Bring me back a souvenir and a niece or nephew."
Helen chuckled and said, "I agree. When you get back, call me, Anna, and while you're up north, please check in with me."
Hugging her, I said, "I will, Helen."
When it was Thomas and me, we sat on the stairs to the house, and he said, "So Anna, when you get back to Florida, would you like to be an exclusive couple? Ready to jump that cliff with me?"
Smiling, I said, "Will it bother you that I have to travel for book tours and work?"
He pretended to be shocked and said, "What, I can't come with you? You know I can work from anywhere for the most part."
Taking his hand, I said, "Then yes, I would love to be a couple."
We sat on the stairs overlooking the water as the sun was high in the sky. Smiling, I could not wait for the next chapter in my life to start.
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Anna Worthington- Main Thomas-Second May-SIL Max-Brother Daniel- ex-husband Shelly- Thomas's ex Alex-lawyer, Tina spouse daughter Sean- Thomas's Lawyer, Husband Michael Scott-daniels ex Donna-max mom Helen- Mays mom
