Chapter Thirty
Caroline blinked her eyes and groggily turned on her side as the sunshine poured into her room. She fell asleep crying over the ugly things she said to Jameson. From the stony expression on his face, Caroline knew she struck a nerve with him, and he didn’t intend to come back.
The idea of never seeing him again made her stomach clench, and her heart shattered into a million pieces. Fresh tears gathered in her eyes when she heard rummaging from the kitchen. Donning her robe, Caroline headed toward the sound.
“Jameson,” she called, desperately hoping he stayed the night.
“It’s me,” Rebecca called as she turned toward Caroline. “I’m sorry if I disturbed you. I’m making breakfast and putting on some coffee. Do you want a cup?”
Nodding, Caroline sat on the kitchen stool and immediately jumped off, as the reminder of Jameson spanking her sent her standing. It didn’t hurt, but she still felt the consequences of it.
Rebecca paused. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” she said, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.
Her friend stared at her, then went into the bedroom and brought back a pillow.
“Here, sit on this,” Rebecca directed as she placed it on the couch. “Riley, Delaney, and Rachel will be here shortly.”
“I don’t recall them mentioning they planned to come today,” Caroline said, debating whether the pillow offered any comfort.
“I called them,” she volunteered, bringing two cups of coffee to the living room and setting them on the table.
“Why?” Caroline said, sensing Rebecca planned to say her peace.
Sitting beside her, Rebecca took her hand.
“I know the past week has taken a toll on you. The last six years have seemed like you lived in hell. My former CIA partner held me for almost a year. He and his friends delighted in making my life miserable. Julio found me because you helped give them my approximate location. You did a huge favor, sticking your neck out for Jameson. It’s my turn to do the same for you. ”
Caroline shifted uncomfortably on the pillow, not because of the discomfort in her butt, but the heavy feeling in her chest. She let her new friends down.
“Did Jameson tell you?” she asked, staring at the floor.
“No. At least not by his words, but by his actions,” Rebecca said softly. “Drink your coffee, and we’ll eat breakfast. It’s time we set things straight.”
Sipping the hot brew, Caroline recalled the harsh words she said to Jameson. Her heart sank, knowing he believed her outburst, because everyone chose to see the worst side of him.
Rebecca handed her a plate of eggs and bacon while she cleaned up the kitchen. By the time she finished, she heard Riley, Delaney, and Rachel approach the pool house. Rising, she went to greet them.
“Rachel, I’m not in active labor. Stop hovering,” Delaney complained. “You’re getting as bad as Mac. The man won’t let me lift a thing.”
“You still have four weeks left, and I’m not letting this kid’s head hit the floor because you refuse to have Dr. Greene check you again,” Rachel argued. “I promised Mac to have you home in two hours, and I agree with him.”
“Let Dr. Greene examine you,” Riley suggested sweetly, attempting to cool her other two hot-headed friends as she slid open the patio door, letting them inside.
“Hi, ladies,” Caroline greeted. “I didn’t expect you today.”
“Rebecca called us. It seems you’ve gotten yourself in a pickle. Damn, we all felt the chilly vibes yesterday, if I’m honest,” Rachel said. “What did you do?”
Caroline’s eyes filled with tears, and Riley rushed to hug her.
“We’ve all created a mess, one time or another. It can’t be all bad,” Riley soothed. “Take a deep breath, and we’ll figure it out together.”
“I need a bathroom first,” Delaney said, heading down the hall.
“I brought cookies. Before you ask, no, I didn’t make them. I bought them,” Rachel said defensively as Rebecca handed her and Riley a cup of coffee.
“You didn’t have to bring anything,” Caroline said under her breath. “I have enough food for a month.”
“It called for ‘let’s put our heads together and help our sister out’ kinda cookies. Not the ‘oh, sorry your dad passed away’ kind,” Rachel told her, earning an elbow to the ribs from Riley.
“Ow,” Rachel said, scowling. “I’m glad it’s not me this time.”
“You get in trouble enough for all five of us,” Delaney said, returning.
Rebecca smiled as she asked, “Do you want some tea? I’m afraid we only have caffeinated coffee?”
“No. It’ll only make me pee again. I swear I need a portable toilet to take with me,” Delaney grumbled, yet smiled down at her belly, rubbing it. “It’s a good thing I already love you to pieces,” she said to her stomach, forgetting the women around her.
Rachel rolled her eyes. “She belongs in a loony bin. Lately, she talks to it as if the kid understands everything she’s saying,” she whispered loudly.
“One of these days, you’ll be pregnant, and I’m riding your ass every single day,” Delaney warned her.
“I do it out of love,” Rachel argued as her eyes drifted to the pillow. “Did you sleep out here?”
Caroline’s cheeks felt on fire as she unconsciously rubbed her bottom. “No.”
Rachel sent her a wry grin as Caroline sat on it, while the others took their seats.
“What happened?” Rachel asked. “Rebecca called us at the crack of dawn to get our butts over here.”
“Caroline and Jameson got into a doozy of a fight,” Rebecca announced. “I’m hoping we can lend her advice before it’s too late.”
All eyes turned to Caroline, who sucked in her bottom lip and felt the heat of their stares.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Riley asked softly. “We’re good listeners, except for Rachel. She can’t stay quiet long enough.”
Rachel stuck out her tongue.
“Ladies,” Rebecca admonished. “Caroline’s grieving her father. Why don’t we see what she has to say.”
Caroline swallowed the lump forming in her throat. What if they hated her for hurting Jameson?
Riley took her hand. “It can’t be as bad as you’re making it out in your head. At least Garrett didn’t chase a bus down on a horse and stop it in the middle of an intersection to get you off.”
“Did you feel embarrassed?” Caroline asked in shock.
“Yup,” she replied.
“Matthew once tossed me in a watering tank after I called him a bunch of names for letting me fall in a pile of shit, and I ruined a good leather purse,” Rachel admitted.
“Why did you have a purse with you in the barn?” Caroline asked, confused.
Delaney held her stomach as laughter bubbled to the surface.
“Oh, she was a hot mess back then. Rachel provided a ton of amusement. She thought Matthew worked in a fancy office. It turned out only half true because he works in the barns, too. She dressed up to shovel shit.” Delaney’s laughter grew louder as she wiped her eyes.
“I’ll never forget when they returned, and she resembled a drowned rat,” she howled.
“It wasn’t as funny as she makes it out to be,” Rachel mumbled, yet Caroline saw her cheeks twitch in laughter at her friend’s recounting.
“It’s all right if you don’t want to discuss it,” Rebecca assured her.
“I didn’t call them to gang up on you. They’ve helped me in my recovery, and I thought you might benefit from some friendly advice.
Yes, Jameson is part of our family, whether he believes it or not.
Guys can screw up, too. We’re your friends and want to help. ”
“He didn’t really do anything bad,” Caroline faltered.
“I try not to think of James when I see Jameson. They’re two separate people.
I love him and want to trust him. Then, I discovered yesterday he rented the house.
He never mentioned it or the car. It’s lying by omission.
Yet, he did it for me,” Caroline murmured.
“My gut says trust him, but my head sends red flags.”
“You’ve gone six years without trusting a single person,” Riley offered. “It’s your body’s instinct to warn you.”
“No,” Rachel interjected. “How many times did we hear Jameson talk about Caroline? She did trust him. Caroline gave him the last whereabouts of Rebecca, risking her own life.”
Delaney sighed. “Caroline wanted to help someone. It doesn’t mean she trusted him. She might’ve wanted to help someone else escape the hell she lived in.”
Rebecca gazed at Caroline for a moment, who seemed stunned by the frank discussion in front of her.
“We don’t believe in talking behind your back,” Rachel explained. “I can be a bitch, but Delaney won’t let me be catty, too.”
“Damn, right,” Delaney answered.
“Caroline didn’t believe she’d ever get away. She wanted to trust Jameson,” Rebecca surmised. “Not for herself, but for me.”
Tears threatened as Rebecca hit the nail on the head. Cain made it clear she’d only go home in a body bag.
“Oh, honey,” Riley sympathized. “I can’t imagine what you went through. But Jameson kept his word. He told us he promised you, he’d find you.”
Rachel handed Caroline a tissue from the side table.
“He did,” she said guiltily. “After he disappeared, I thought they killed him, or he found Rebecca.”
“He searched for you the day they returned home. Garrett has accompanied him on leads,” Riley informed her. “When he returned, he seemed more distraught than ever. He loves you. I’m not trying to throw guilt on your shoulders. I’m only assuring you he does.”
Delaney glanced at Caroline, who wiped her tears. “Trust can be a double-edged sword. You believe him, but you don’t.”
“Exactly. Why keep the car and house a secret from me?” she asked the group.
“I can answer your question,” Rachel volunteered. “Because the guys worried if he tried to buy your love, you might think he was trying to make up for what James did. The poor man seems damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.”
“What really happened on the other team?” Caroline turned to Rebecca. “I don’t understand if Jameson saved lives, why they made him an outcast.”