Jailbird (11 page)

“That brat.”

“He’s trying to help.”

“I know,” I tried to process it all. “So
you’ve known for a while now.”

“It didn’t take long to figure it out once I
started talking to Mary,” he admitted.

“And that’s why I’ve had to pick Cara up so
often. You’ve been in Louisiana.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry… this never would have dawned
on me. You’re licensed in Louisiana?”

“Yeah, I worked as a junior prosecutor in
Marion County years ago.”

“Well I feel silly,” I felt all of the energy
drain from my body suddenly as a huge burden was lifted.

“Don’t. I’m completely and totally in awe of
you. I think you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. And you
still haven’t answered my question.”

“You’re right… yes, I’ll marry you,” I
decided in that instant anything I might face as a result of my
consent was worth it if I got to stay wrapped in his arms for just
a little bit longer.

“My little jailbird,” he kissed the top of my
head and sighed contentedly.

Chapter Ten

My happy haze was disturbed by a constant
tapping at the front door. I lifted my head and met Charlie’s
confused gaze.

“Why don’t you go check on Cara while I see
who’s at the door,” he suggested as he stretched. I nodded drowsily
and headed up the stairs to Cara’s room. The thought occurred to me
that it could be a police officer on his porch, but that thought
occurred to me any time someone knocked on the door.

I couldn’t be sure if my sticking my head in
her room is what woke Cara up, but I was met with a sleepy good
morning.

“Morning, sunshine,” I greeted her with a
kiss to the forehead. “How’s your arm?”

“It hurts,” she frowned prettily then
brightened. “That’s a very pretty ring.”

“It is,” I remembered the ring and held my
hand out for us both to survey. “Your daddy bought it for me.”

“Does that mean you’re his wife now?”

“It means I will be… if that’s okay with
you,” I hoped Charlie wasn’t upset with me for telling her, but I
wasn’t going to lie.

“And you’ll be my mom?”

“Well, you have a mom. But I’ll be your
step-mom.”

“I don’t like my mom. She left me. I want you
to be my mom.”

“Then I’ll be your mom,” I brushed her hair
back from her face, touched by her words but also wondering if
Gabrielle disliked me for the same reasons Cara did Julie. “Right
now, I’m going to go get you some Tylenol for the pain in your arm.
Then I’ll make you some breakfast. Deal?”

“Deal,” she nodded with a bubbly smile. I
felt pretty bubbly on the inside myself. I ran a quick brush
through my hair and took Cara her medicine, then bounded down the
steps to go make some bacon and eggs.

The sight of the woman standing in the
entryway brought me up short. She was only slightly shorter than
Charlie and put together better than any Barbie doll. But it was
the riotous blonde curls and bright blue eyes that froze me in
place. She was obviously Cara’s mother. One look told me the rumors
flying around town about her drug addiction were just that—rumors.
Fear clinched my stomach.

If the resemblance hadn’t given it away,
Charlie’s discomfort would have. He didn’t seem to be capable of
not rubbing the back of his neck without subsequently pinching the
bridge of his nose or jamming his hands in his pockets.

“Oh,” she gasped when she saw me. “I didn’t
mean to interrupt… I have to say I’m a little surprised at you,
Charlie. The old Charlie wouldn’t have brought a woman home for the
night. And certainly not in front of our daughter.”

“It’s not like that,” I protested, instantly
disliking her. “Cara hurt herself last night so I stayed on the
couch in case they needed me.”

“Oh no… far be it for me to ask an
explanation,” she waved me off as if I was insignificant.

“Julie,” Charlie’s voice was firm. “I’d like
you to meet my fiancée, Neena Allen.”

“Oh,” she pursed her lips. I wanted to pinch
them off. If she said “oh” one more time, I just might. “What a
surprise. Last I heard, you weren’t seeing anybody. This must be
very sudden.”

“Are you keeping tabs on me?” Charlie moved
towards me. I finished my descent down the steps to meet him
halfway. “Some people might think it’s sudden. I just couldn’t take
the chance that Neena here was just a dream.”

The look he gave me made my heart melt. Maybe
a few other things, too.

“You still haven’t told me why you’re here,”
Charlie leveled his gaze on her, squelching the glare she had
rested on me.

“Can’t a mother check in on her baby?” She
batted her eyelashes prettily. I wanted to rip them out when she
did that. Right after I pinched her lips off, I’d get to those.

“You are not my mother!” a little voice
shrieked from the top of the stairs. “Miss Neena is my mother now.
She told me.”

“It wasn’t exactly like that,” my eyes met
Charlie’s and I tried to fight the panic rising in my chest.

“You did so say!”

“I know baby girl… I just meant they should
hear the rest of the conversation, too,” I tried to explain but she
had already whirled around and was gone.

“I’ll go talk to her,” Charlie assured me.
“I’ll be right back.”

A cold silence settled after he disappeared
up the steps. She glared at me, hatred rolling off her in waves. I
met her gaze, trying to keep mine neutral. Trying.

“I told her I’d be her step-mom,” I attempted
to clarify.

“You might think you can show up like a stray
dog on the porch and take this family, but you have no place here,”
Julie informed me in a low growl.

“Excuse me?” Fury rose through me
instantly.

“You heard me. Go back to where you came from
little dog. This is my family.”

“You mean… the family you threw away? That
one? I don’t think so,” I took a step towards her. “Now why don’t
you go back to where you came from before either of us says
something we regret?”

“I don’t intend to give this up without a
fight.”

“Fine. You might be bigger, but I’m a helluva
lot meaner. We can step outside right now if you’d like.”

“I’m not going to fight you in the front lawn
like some sort of Neanderthal.”

“Prefer to lie in wait like a snake in the
grass, do you? Duly noted,” I folded my arms across my chest and
gave her my fiercest look. On Conrad, that same look could make
grown men cry. Apparently it lost something in the translation when
I did it because she didn’t even tear up a little.

“Crisis averted. Cara is properly reassured
that you are in fact going to be her mommy,” Charlie cheerfully
informed me as he headed back down the stairs.

“Charlie…,” Julie practically stamped her
foot in protest.

“Julie, you haven’t even called her since you
walked out that door. What did you expect? For the world to stop
turning here? It didn’t. Now go home.”

“You’ll be hearing from me again,” she
whirled and left with much flurry.

Charlie and I stood there for a minute, our
eyes saying what words could not. How far would Julie go to rout me
from their lives? What would she stoop to, just to hurt Charlie for
the words he’d spoken?

“Well,” I straightened my shoulders. “Those
eggs aren’t going to fry themselves. Go get cleaned up. I’ll make
us some breakfast.”

What should have been a happy morning was
tempered by the unexpected guest. The three of us made small talk
occasionally but mostly focused on the food on our plates.

“When will you marry Daddy?” Cara finally
asked the question that had been burning on her mind.

“I don’t know,” I paused mid-bite to look at
Charlie. “Have you thought about it?”

“Tomorrow?” he grinned at me. Somehow I
thought he was only half-joking.

“Not tomorrow,” I shook my head, laughing.
“I’m not a mirage. I won’t disappear if we take time to actually
look respectable.”

“Maybe I’m trying to be respectable,” he
shrugged innocently.

“Miss Neena, I’ve waited a long time for a
mommy. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

“Don’t tell me you can say no to that,”
Charlie looked at me imploringly.

“How about October?” I suggested on a whim.
“Mid-October. That’s three weeks away. Is that fair enough?”

“I like it. The fall leaves will be amazing,”
he nodded approvingly. “What do you say, baby girl?”

“Three whole weeks?” Cara seemed
skeptical.

“Three weeks will fly by,” I promised.
Mentally I added that every person in town would be watching my
mid-section for months, waiting for tell-tale signs of a shotgun
wedding as it was. It was crazy to marry a man I’d only known for
five months. Of course, it was also crazy to streak through the
woods in your skivvies and swim in a gator hole. Sometimes when a
girl had a chance at real life dangling in front of her, she just
might have to do something crazy to get it.

Setting a date made it seem real. Setting a
date three weeks away meant I had a lot to do in a very short time.
First thing after breakfast, we got around and headed to the
Torres’ vegetable stand. We’d hoped to tell them the good news, but
the rumor mill beat us there. We called Conrad, but he was
completely not surprised. I wished I could tell Mary, but she
thought I was gator food.

Even though we insisted on a simple outdoor
wedding, planning went into full throttle. It took a bit of
cajoling on Charlie’s part to get us the license since I had
paperwork but no actual corresponding records in the social
security office. Apparently the documents Conrad had supplied me
with were intended for fooling an I-9 form, not for applying for a
marriage license. Somehow Charlie’s charm and good standing in the
community got us the coveted piece of paper.

We had to canvass four towns for it, but
Anjelita and I found the perfect dress. It was a simple white dress
with long sleeves and a flared skirt that flowed prettily when I
moved. I intentionally chose something tailored at the bust and
waist to squelch rumors that I was having Charlie’s baby.

We decorated the house in full fall regalia.
Pumpkins and bales of straw complimented the brilliantly colored
trees all over Charlie’s property. Manny made us the most amazing
archway for the lawn that I’d ever seen. He must’ve worked around
the clock to finish it so quickly.

Charlie borrowed chairs from his church. Rita
organized a potluck reception. Everyone pitched in and offered
something. It felt like the entire town was invited, but I knew
that was an exaggeration. Still, when people who hadn’t been
invited starting showing up out of pure curiosity, it was hard not
to feel overwhelmed.

But then the moment came when I was standing
at one end of the lawn on my brother’s arm and Charlie was standing
at the other under the archway Manny had made for us. He was
looking at me like I was the most beautiful creature he’d ever
seen. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He wore a new suit and
his hair was combed back. Even the lock of hair that often fell
across his forehead had been wrangled into submission.

He was perfect. He was mine. I loved him so
much my heart felt like someone was squeezing it.

As I walked the long path that led to his
side, I thought of my mama reading to me about the creation of man.
God created Eve and said that two shall become one flesh. I knew
now what that meant.

I vaguely recall Conrad handing me over to
Charlie. I kind of remember what the pastor said. The vows were a
little fuzzy. But then he kissed me in a way that promised endless
tomorrows together. I didn’t stop to think about how far my life
had come in six short months. I didn’t even care to dream about
where it would be in six months more. I was completely and totally
happy to exist in that moment.

Part Two: Skeletons

Chapter Eleven

It’s not every day you wake up a new person.
Granted, it seemed to be a more common occurrence for me than most.
Still, there was something special about the sunlight that trickled
through my window the next morning. I was greeting the new day as
Neena Russell.

Cara spent the next few nights with Isabel so
Charlie could take me on a short honeymoon. We drove up to Eureka
Springs. It was a perfect time of year to visit the Ozark
Mountains. Color burst from the hills all around. The town was
picturesque, and I made a mental note to come back again when I
cared more about my surroundings. For this trip, the only thing
that mattered in my world was Charlie.

He was gentle when I needed him to be, kind
by nature, and he made me laugh. I had totally succumbed to being
crazy in love with him.

When the honeymoon was over, it didn’t take
long for our life to assume an easy rhythm. There was a cadence to
being part of this family that suited me well. I felt calmer. I
looked over my shoulder less. The nightmares slowed. I gained a
little weight. I stopped needing the light on when I made love to
Charlie. I was becoming human again.

Still, it had been so long since I’d
celebrated a birthday, I was completely taken by surprise when
Charlie and Cara brought me breakfast in bed.

“What in the world are you two up to?” I sat
up, furrowing my brow as they placed the tray on my lap. I was
usually the first one up in the morning. It was a little
embarrassing to be caught sleeping in.

“It’s your birthday silly,” Cara rolled her
eyes. “Uncle Conrad told us.”

“It is?” I tried to remember the date.

“That’s pathetic,” Charlie sighed. “You
really didn’t remember your own birthday?”

“My birthday is in three months and eight
days,” Cara informed me. “Try to remember that one.”

“I’ll do my best,” I did the mental math and
realized that her birthday was uncannily close to Gabrielle’s.