Twice Loved (30 page)

“Hopefully I won’t need you to have my back.” apprehension crawls throughout my body.

“Yea well you have a bambino to think of.” Haley says with a slight smile.

We reach the door and both of us hesitate once more. My hand shakes as I reach for the knob. I take a deep breath before throwing the door open. Voices come from the back of the house. I hear LuAnn’s laughter. I also notice the faint smell of pot in the air. Haley and I glance at one another before walking into the kitchen.

LuAnn has her body pressed against Tate’s front. If I wasn’t aware of the set up I would not be happy. Actually I wasn’t happy as it was. Even knowing what was going on I felt a pang in my chest. The only redeeming thing was what was in LuAnn’s hand. A smoking joint. She lifts it to her lips and inhales. It’s then I hear a quiet click to my left. I turn to see Jake with his phone snapping pictures.

“Well…” I say as I move into the room. Tate’s head snaps in my direction. His eyes show how much he hates being close to her, but it worked. LuAnn turns to us and she gives me a cruel smile. Little does she know. “It seems someone is either not pregnant or doesn’t give a shit about her baby.”

She laughs she probably thinks it’s seductive, but it really sounds like a hyena who’s got vocal cord problems.

“I miscarried, but it doesn’t matter Tate has just given me hope we can still be together.” I smile at her which causes her to step back away from Tate. She eyes me unsure of what is going on. I can see it the way her eyes are darting from person to person in each room.

Tate pushes past her. He heads toward me. As he walks closer his grin gets bigger. “Princess I’m glad you got here when you did.”

“Why did you need help being saved from the big bad warthog?” I ask with a coy grin. Several snorts are heard around the kitchen.

“Something like that.” He says before leaning down and kissing me with a deep soul searching kiss. When he breaks from me he looks at LuAnn “See this is the woman I love, the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with… the one I’d have a family with.”

LuAnn’s smile has faded. Her shoulders sag. Her arms cross her stomach almost gripping herself in a hug. “But I don’t… I don’t understand.”

“It’s easy bitch we got you right where we want you.” Tate sneers. “You admitted you are no longer pregnant in front of witnesses. We have pics of you smoking weed. And now you see that I’ll never be with you again.” He steps toward her. “Now get the hell out of my house and stay the hell away from me, my family, and friends.”

LuAnn steps forward “You bitch!” she flies toward me. Several movements happen at once. Jake and Haley are united in front of me. As Tate grabs LuAnn by her arm twisting it behind her. She cries out in pain. “Tate… please you can’t really want that old hag over me.”

“I do want that beautiful woman over you and if you come back around me I’ll call the cops.” he pushes her toward the front of the house “Get the fuck away from me and get it through your head that nothing is happening between us for any reason.”

“You’ll be back.” she says her voice doesn’t hold it’s usually confidence. “You always come back.”

“Not this time.” He pushes LuAnn into Jake’s arms. Coming to my side wrapping an arm around my waist. His hand rest protectively on the front of my stomach. He probably doesn’t even realize that he’s protecting our child in this moment.

“OH MY GAWD!” LuAnn screeches. She starts fighting Jake. Jake tightens his hold on her as she continues to flay about “She’s fucking having your baby?” She faces meal but shooting fire out of her nostrils. “You’re a whore!”

I jerk myself out of Tate’s arms. I step toward LuAnn “That’s right bitch..” my body heaves with my anger powering it. “I’m his whore, his lover. His other half.” I’m as close to her as I can get without Jake letting her go. “I would venture to say I’m his everything. You are nothing to him! Time to fuck off
!”

“Cunt…” she screams again.

“Get out of this house and like Tate said don’t ever come back you crazy fucking bitch!” I spit with as much venom as she has been spewing.

Tate moves toward our little group and he takes hold of LuAnn while Jake hangs on to her other side. Haley moves to stand beside me as we watch the two men pull LuAnn kicking and screaming out of the house. I’m sure the neighbors will be happy she won’t be around anymore.

“You okay?” Haley asks her hand rest on my forearm. It’s a comforting gesture but I’m sure she has to notice the tremble. I’m shaking from anger. LuAnn is a nasty piece of work. I’m just hoping that this is the last we see of her.

Jake and Tate come back into the kitchen laughing with one another. Tate takes one look at me and immediately is at my side “Are you okay Princess?”

I can’t answer him. I don’t know what to say. It’s as if I’m in some type of shock.

“Princess… seriously what the fuck?” his eyes cut tot Haley. She shrugs at him

“She’s been quiet since y’all walked out with LuAnn.”

Tate pulls me from Haley’s grasp. “Princess please talk to me.”

“Is she really gone?” I ask my voice quivers “Was that the last of her?”

I get no answer right away. I tilt my head up my eyes searching for an answer to my question.

“Yea I think we have seen the last of her. She may try a few things but ultimately she has no card left to play with me.” He smiles at me “The pregnant card was the last thing she could’ve pulled that would have kept me tied to her.”

My head falls to his shoulder, my whole body sagging against him. Tate tightens his grip on me. He holds me. It’s enough to reassure me I’m who he wants. Peace descends on me. Finally Tate and I are free of the obstacles we’ve had in front of us.

Steve’s mother has thankfully decided to stay away. One day I hope she will forgive me. I know Oliva and Noah are over there with her once a week. I certainly would never stop them but I won’t let her dictate my future happiness especially now. Tate and I had a child on the way. There was no separating us from one another.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Haley is coming over today. It’s been two months since she moved out of my house and into the cottage. She even managed to talk to Jake and find some kind of closure. It wasn’t comfortable and easy to be around him but she could do it. She told me that it was easier every time we had a gathering. Fall is turning into winter. Christmas is just around the corner. It will be our first one without Steve. I wonder what it will be like. Tate being in my life puts me in a quandary. I’m happy because it’s a time of firsts for us yet it’s also the kids and mine first without their father.

“Mom.” Noah’s voice calls out as the front door opens. I walk around the kitchen doorway to see what my son is yelling for.

“What is it?” I ask concern lacing my voice.

“Wow when did you start showing?” Noah ask surprise clear on his face.

I snicker at my son’s face. “Son it was bound to happen. I’m four months along now.” I ruffle the hair on his head “Now what had you rushing in the house like that?”

“Oh yea… um Grandma Mae.” he says looking slightly uncomfortable. “Um she’s ...”

A knock sounds on the door before he can finish his sentence. Apprehension fills me.

“Noah, what’s going on?”

He looks distressed. His eyes flit back and forth between me and the door. A door where someone is now knocking with eagerness.

“Grandma Mae found out you were pregnant finally. She followed me home.”

“Noah move out of the way. Go to your room.” I tell him completely annoyed. I open the door. Mae stands there. She stares at me her eyes drop to my stomach. Instinctively my hand cups my small baby bump. It’s natural to want to protect my unborn child even from the mother in law I still love.

“It’s true.” her eyes tear up. Her lip begins tremble.

“Oh Mae come in please.” I usher my former mother in law into the house. Guiding her into my living room. “Please sit down. Can I get you something?”

Mae shakes her head. “I just couldn’t believe it when I heard Noah and Olivia talking today at lunch.”

“It wasn’t exactly planned.” I tell her wryly as a mother I can only imagine how hard this must be for her.

She tentatively reaches a hand out for me. She pats me on my knee. “No dear I’m sure it wasn’t.”

I place a hand on top of hers and we sit there in silence. It’s not altogether uncomfortable.

“I miss him every day still.” I tell Mae.

“Do you?” I don’t miss the hopefulness in her eyes. “I wasn’t sure. I felt like you forgot about my son.”

“Forget Steve? How could I?” I scoot back and rest my back on the couch. “He was my first love. My best friend. The father of my two children. We spent nineteen years together. There is no way I could forget him.” Mae is silently crying.

I sigh quietly. “We have felt every major event harder this year than any other. Tate has been there for all of us. Supporting us in our grief. Encouraging the children to think about their father and what he would have them do.”

“He does?” she sniffles. “I just don’t understand. Steve told me he gave you permission to have a relationship with Tate but it just…. It was never… “

“Oh Mae it wasn’t and still isn’t easy for any of us. That was an unusual thing. Steve loved me enough to put my happiness above his own” I slide closer to her wrapping arms around her. Thankful she doesn’t pull away. “Even in my happiness there’s sadness.”

A knock on my front door interrupts us.

“Go answer that dear.”

“It’s probably Haley. We had plans.” I glance at Mae “I will send her home.”

“Nonsense dear. She can join us she’s supported you and been an excellent friend to you through everything. Maybe I could learn something from her.” I give Mae a tentative smile as I walk out of the room.

Haley comes in the living room all smiles. She’s been irritated with the way Mae treated me the last few months. I’m hoping she will keep her mouth shut.

“Mae…” Haley stops for a moment before continuing into the room. “What a lovely surprise.”

“Girl I know you’re upset with me.” Mae cross his arms. “I’m here making amends you’ll be happy to know.”

Haley looks at me. I nod my head in confirmation. “Well then…”

“The kids told me she’s pregnant. As upset as I was with things. I felt worry immediately for her being pregnant at her age.”

“Gee thanks.” sniggering I face Mae “I love you too.”

“OH pooh you know what I mean.” she waves a hand at me in dismissal.

The three of laugh and relax and with one statement the last year of tension melts away with the ease of years of knowing each other. We settle in and over the next few hours we share laughter, tears and so much more as we reunite with the ease we all once had with one another.

Tate comes in from work and doesn’t even bat an eye that Mae is sitting in the living room. He just comes in says hello to everyone kisses me on the cheek and says “I’m going out back to fire up the grill.” Then he walks off toward the kitchen.

“I’m going to have to figure out how to be his friend.” Mae speaks softly a hint of sadness in her tone.

“He’ll understand if it takes you some time to get used to being around him.” I pat Mae on the leg.

She stands up and gathers her purse, “I just barged in unannounced I should get back home.”

“I’m glad you came by.” I enfold her in a hug. Her arms tighten around me.

“I’m glad I came. And I’ll be in touch maybe we can schedule lunch next weekend.” She steps back arms still around me.

“I’d like that.”

I see Mae to the front door. Haley is standing behind me.

“That was interesting.” She quips.

“Yea… it was. Who knew my pregnancy would unite so many people together.”

We walk into the kitchen together. Tate is standing at the counter preparing what looks like steaks for the grill. In addition to the steaks I see some chicken prepared as well.

“Um Tate are we having a party?”

“Oh yea I invited the guys over for dinner… kind of a thank you.” He picks up a shaker and begins sprinkling the steaks down “This week has been insane at work. I’m going to have to look at expanding. Adding mechanics and work space soon.”

“Honey that’s great!” I say moving up beside him, planting a kiss on his cheek. “How can Haley and I help? Olivia and Noah can help too.”

“Can you and Haley throw together some baked potatoes and salad? Let’s ask Olivia to help set up paper products.” He beams as he turns around “But Noah doesn’t have to work this time he’s part of my crew that I want to relax tonight.”

Tate finishes preparing the meat and heads outside with it. Haley scrubs potatoes while I begin chopping vegetables and lettuce for the salad. We turn on some music while we work. Olivia comes down from her room where she has been working on an English paper. She sits down at the kitchen counter.

“So what happened with Grandma Mae?” Olivia gazes back and forth. First looking at Haley then me.

“It went really well. We were able to work things out.”

She moves to the pantry and begins pulling out plates, napkins, and other things we will need tonight. “Good Grandma Mae needed to get over it already.” I snort. “What she did?”

“I know baby but your attitude is so different from what it was a few months ago.”

Shrugging her shoulders she heads out the back door with the tableware.

Noah rejoins us in the kitchen after cleaning up from work. “Tate is awesome!”

Chuckling, “Why is that son?” I reach into a cabinet and pull out my large salad bowl. I begin throwing in the lettuce and tomatoes, and other veggies into the bowl. “What makes him so awesome?”

“Treating us all to a cookout for a bonus for our work week.” He sits down on a stool only to jump up immediately when the doorbell rings. Noah comes back in the kitchen with Pete and Mike clamoring behind him. They are carrying an ice chest which I assume to be loaded down with beer.

“Why didn’t you guys take it through the back gate would have made more sense?” I look at the guys in disbelief.