Found by Love (49 page)

"Believe it or not it's always by accident. He walked out of his closet asking how I felt about his tie as I walked out of mine asking him what he thought about my dress. I think we mentally know what the other is wearing half the time." She leaned forward and put her arm around me. "Sweetheart, how are you feeling tonight?" Elizabeth came around to the other side of me and they're both like mother hens around me now since they found out I was pregnant.

"I'm feeling fine today. My stomach hasn't been upset since yesterday so hopefully I can make it through the rest of the night without any problems." I leaned over and gave Elizabeth a hug. "Thank you so much for having Caleb and I over for dinner the other night and... Thank you for jumping my shit for shutting you out of what has been going on. I'm sorry... Again and I promise it won't happen ever again."

Henry and Elizabeth had invited Caleb and me to their house to make sure that I knew that even though Olivia was their daughter, they've always felt the same way about me and didn't appreciate the way that I had shut them out of their lives. I was so ashamed in disappointing them and somehow felt that they would frown on me like my real parents would have had they known that I had gotten pregnant and given my baby up for adoption.

"I told you that I had already forgiven you but I just want you to realize that Henry and I love you so much and we don't just have one daughter. You're our bonus daughter and if we have to we will adopt you just to prove it to you in writing." She winked at me and hugged me while Henry hugged me from behind. "Not to mention having another grandson and more on the way. Oh my, Henry! Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes it is darling, truly wonderful." I turned around and grabbed Henry's hand and squeezed it.

"I've been meaning to ask you something and you don't have to if you don't want to but I-" He stopped me from continuing.

"If you are going to ask me to give you away at your wedding after we both told you that we consider you as our daughter Claudia, I'm going to bend you over my knee right now and spank you." Oh geez! That's exactly what I was going to ask him. I nodded my head at him and shrugged my shoulders and giggled. He gave me a hug and sighed. "I'll forgive you this one time but please quit feeling like you're a hindrance to Elizabeth and me. We love you very much Dear."

"I know you do and it won't happen again. Thank you and I love you both!" I hugged them both again and turned around and noticed all of the men looking towards the stairwell and I stopped in my tracks.

Josie was walking down the stairs with her head held high and she looked amazingly gorgeous. Her long auburn curls that she usually wears down to the bottom of her back were up in a clip and her long slender neck was surrounded by emeralds to match her dress. The confident air about her was unmistakable and I noticed that Mattie's jaw had dropped along with Cash, Caleb and even Gideon and Grayson.

"Josie! You look BEAUTIFUL! You look like a princess in that dress!" Eden was right. She definitely looked like royalty and she knew how to make an entrance. I walked around to stand between Caleb and Mattie.

"So... anyone care to help a lady out? Ya know…. the one that could probably use a little bit of help down?" Of course I was hoping Mattie's would catch onto my hinting around for him to help Josie but all I got back was a hateful look while Caleb went to help her down the last few steps.

"Claudia... If I didn't know better I would have to wonder if you're trying to provoke me or not." I laughed and nodded my head.

"Oh you would be right. I do have a question my friend." He narrowed his eyes at me dreading what was on my mind I could tell.

"What is your question Claud?" I put my arm through his and leaned in closer to him so that we could have a private conversation.

"Have you talked to Josie since you and I talked?” He grinned and nodded at me but I could tell that he was gritting his teeth as well.

"I think I'll keep that between Josie and me for right now if you don't mind.” I clicked my tongue against my teeth and grinned.

"Okay, You seem to still be mad. Is she still denying everything?"

"Let's just say I loathe her very much at the moment and keep it at that." I spun around when I realized he was already across the room to get away from my questions. He loathes her? As in HATES her? I giggled to myself because it’s amazing how fast loathing can turn into love sometimes.

I looked over at Josie who was getting a million compliments from everyone at the moment and she seemed to be glowing from the big smile on her face. I noticed she looked towards Mattie a few times as he had his back to everyone and seemed to be looking outside the window. The look of how hurt her feelings were wasn't missed by me and I wondered what in the world she is hiding to continue her charade of lying to him because it was obvious that she had feelings for him.

"Cru, are you ready to go? We are all heading for the limos." He looked over towards Mattie. "Mattie? Are you still riding with us? Gideon wants to ride with Grayson so we have the two boys so I it should be an interesting ride."

He turned around and nodded his head at Caleb and looked over at me and frowned. I shrugged my shoulders and headed towards the front door with Caleb's help. Lord help us but I sure don't want any drama tonight so it would probably be best to keep those two apart. Here I was thinking that they'd be a great match but I’m still hoping that they can work out whatever seems to be going on with Josie at the moment.

**************

I had never been to a Kingston Enterprises, Inc. Christmas party before and it was as over the top as a big company party could get. Cash definitely knows how to treat his employees at Christmas. Not only did everyone get rather large bonuses but he had door prizes as well that included vacation trips that would make the rich and famous jealous of and a lot of oversized TV's and every electronic device that you could think of and that was just for the adults. He had a party going on downstairs for all of the children of his employees and the presents under their tree had tons of tablets, cell phones, name brand clothes and shoes in every size that you could think of. I left Grayson with Gideon and Eden and they were all enthralled at how many gifts there were to go around.

Olivia and I had been sitting at a table with George and Elizabeth while the whole Kingston clan made their rounds with all of their friends and acquaintances. At the moment George and Elizabeth were on the dance floor while Olivia and I took in the scenery in front of us. We've always loved to people watch at parties.

"Claud, is there something going on between Josie and Mattie?"

I started to answer her but I noticed that she was staring really hard at something and I looked in her line of sight. There was Mattie and Josie in a corner away from everyone and they both seemed to be in a heated discussion about something. Josie went to walk away from him and he grabbed her arm to stop her and she slapped him across the face and threw her drink on him. It wasn't a little slap either because I could see the hand print that was rising on his cheek from where we were which was about 25 feet away. I went to get up but Olivia grabbed my hand.

"Don't. Look." I noticed that Josie seemed shocked at herself by what she did and even though I could tell that Mattie was tensed up his face had softened and he no longer seemed angry. He put his hand out and stepped closer to her and she backed away and then took off running towards the bathrooms and Mattie immediately went chasing after her.

I had the urge to take off after her to see if she was alright but realized that they needed to hash out what was going on between the two of them. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed the exchange between them but everyone seemed to be in their own little world. I looked at Olivia and her eyes were about to bug out of her head.

"What the HELL was THAT all about? I was hoping for some kind of a connection between them after I saw them dance together on the dance floor a few weeks ago but that? Something's going on. They looked like they were having a-" I finished for her.

"Lover's quarrel maybe? Something's definitely going on O.” I stopped myself from saying too much about what I knew but I had to tell her something and I knew she wouldn’t mention it to anyone. “Earlier Mattie told me that he LOATHED Josie but you and I both saw that exchange with our own eyes and he definitely doesn't LOATHE her. He might be mad at her for something but he's definitely in to her and I think she's into him too." I giggled and Olivia looked at me like I was crazy for laughing at the wrong time. "I'm sorry but that made me want to start a fight with Caleb on our way home so that we can have some good old fashioned make up sex." I looked at her and she seemed to be day dreaming so I nudged her and she seemed embarrassed. "Sounds like maybe Cash better get ready for an argument himself! Haha."

"Oh no! What'd I do now Liv? Claud, what are you filling her head with now?" I innocently looked at Cash and pointed to myself.

"Little ole me? Maybe just maybe for once Cash; I might be helping you out." I stood up to stand by my handsome man who had finally joined the table. "Care to dance with your fiancé?" The love in his eyes for me always makes my legs feel wobbly and I started to sway but he caught me.

"Whoa there Sweetheart, maybe you should stay seated. Are you feeling okay? Are you dizzy?" The look of concern had me reaching up and kissing him on the cheek.

"Only for you baby, I'm fine really." I started to drag him over to the dance floor but I noticed Eden running as fast as her little legs could carry her looking like the devil himself was chasing her."

"Daddy, daddy, daddy, DADDY! It's Gideon and Grayson!" Did she just say Gideon and Grayson?  I looked behind her and saw the guard that we had watching the children while we were on the main floor jogging behind her and he was holding his head. He had blood running down his face. Oh no! Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!! I sat down before I passed out because my nightmare has just happened.

"Eden… Honey. What's wrong? Where are your brother and Grayson at?" Caleb reached for my hand while Olivia went to stand beside Cash and looked Eden over to make sure she was okay.

"Some..... Men..... Took.... them Daddy! Some..... Mean.....men! They hit Mr. Jacob..... Over the head and I ran..... and hid from them.....because they tried to get me too!" Oh my God! Where did they take them? Oh my God! I can't speak!  I can't move! I feel like I'm having a heart attack I can barely breathe!

"Eden, Honey. Drink this and try to catch your breath." Olivia seemed calm but I knew that inside she was a wreck knowing that our boys have been taken by some lunatics.

"Mr. Kingston. I already called 911 and I'm so sorry. The children needed to go to the bathroom and I was taking them and they ran on to the elevator just playing around and I jumped in just in time. I told them to quit messing around and that we needed to be extra cautious."

"Get to it Jacob! WHAT HAPPENED? I want to see some security footage right now! What floor were you on?" Cash started heading towards the security room and we all got up and followed him and Jacob. I could barely move and all of a sudden I'm off the ground and in Caleb's arms. I start bawling into his chest and wrap my arms around his neck.

"Shhh Baby. I've gotcha. Don't worry. We'll get them both back. He's not going to hurt them because he's just wanting money." That is what started this whole mess. Money! Oh god I hope he's right!

"How, how, how can you be so calm? I'm scared to death! My baby and... Gideon... are with a mad man that evidently will do anything to take what he wants! What if it's his life?!" He squeezed me harder and whispered in my ear.

"Stop thinking like that baby. I promise we will get them back. No matter how much we have to pay. Shhh, calm down Cru. The cops will be here any minute and they'll find them." I nodded at him and Olivia came and stood next to us and held my hand for support. I knew she was just as worried as I was because even though Gideon wasn't her blood he was her son in every sense of the word.

I asked Caleb to let me down so that he could help the guys look at the footage from the cameras. Olivia and I were huddled in the corner holding on to each other. I felt my purse vibrate letting me know that I was getting a call or a text and I tore into my purse to get to it to see who it was. It was a text from the security alarm company letting me know that someone had used the code to get into my office. It sent me another text letting me know that the silent alarm had been set.

"Oh! Oh my god! Oh that is one smart kid!" Cash was by my side in less than a second.

"What is it Claudia? Is it the boys?" I grinned at him and nodded my head.

"I know where they are. They're at mine and Caleb's office. I taught him how to use the alarm and I showed him how to set the silent alarm. It has to be him! It has to be!" Mattie showed up into the room with a bewildered look on his face.

"What's going on? It's chaotic out there and everyone keeps saying the boss’s son was kidnapped?" Cash took charge and started directing orders.

"Jacob, call the police and tell them where we think they are." He started heading towards the door. "Cash, Mattie, come with me. There's no way in hell that I'm letting them get away with our boys!"

"Wait a minute! I'm going to!" Olivia joined me.

"Me too! They're our boys, too!"