Chapter 18
“W e don’t have to go to the dining room for supper tonight, Mom,” Abby said as Lisa debated about what to wear. “We can just stay here.”
“No, we’ll have dinner there that way no one can say I’m still hiding you because I’m ashamed of you,” Lisa said as her heart beat faster, the worry she’d had since seeing Benton in town at the forefront and she couldn’t let him win.
“I don’t care what anyone else says,” Abby stated from her spot at the window seat as Corey came out of the bathroom dressed. “Mom, you’re scared, and I don’t want you to be, so if the thought of going to dinner is making you scared then we don’t have to.”
Lisa sighed as Corey moved over to her side, kissing her temple as he hugged her, turning them towards Abby. She crossed the room to her daughter and sat down next to her, keeping her hand in Corey’s for strength. “I’m not scared of taking you to dinner Abby that’s not what this is about.”
“No? Then what is it? You’re not having second thoughts about the wedding, right?” Abby asked, looking between them.
“No that’s one thing I’m not worried about,” Lisa admitted as Corey lifted her hand kissing it gently. “Today while we were in town…”
“What?” Abby said letting her gaze flow between them again. She saw the looks they both wore and let out a light gasp. “You saw him, didn’t you? That’s what this is about…you saw him—or he saw us and now you’re scared for me.”
“I noticed someone watching your mom when we went into the dress shop,” Corey answered moving over to the other side of the window seat, cushioning her between them to keep her calm. “He kept watching her and his watch, seeing how long we were in there. I don’t think he saw you but that’s why we came back here after getting the dresses.”
“And you’re scared he’s going to show up here tonight?” Abby asked her mom.
“I don’t think he’d do that, I just…I’m worried about what he might do when it gets out around town that I’m here with you,” Lisa admitted trying to stay calm. The tape recorders sat in the lockbox hidden in the new safe, underneath the window seat, she’d installed after discovering Benton had managed to get someone in there to find the old items.
“So that’s why you’re going through everything you brought trying to stall for time?” Abby asked and she smiled softly at her. “Mom, I’m not leaving your or Diane’s side while I’m here, I promise. I know you’ll keep me safe, and I know Corey will keep you safe.”
“I will,” he agreed kissing the top of her head as he squeezed Lisa’s hand. “I can have someone out here to watch him in a couple hours if you want baby. He wouldn’t be able to do anything without us knowing about it.”
“And what happens when someone sees them watching him or he sees someone watching him?” Lisa countered, not about to risk it. “I won’t have the town looking at Abby like that.”
“What about if I have someone come out to watch you and Abby then? They’ll stay in the background, I promise. I’m a wealthy man Lisa, very wealthy and there are people who would use those I love against me for something they wanted.”
“I know,” Lisa said leaning into her daughter as she watched her for a reaction to that news.
“I said I’d do whatever I have to Mom, if it’ll make you feel better, not put so much stress on you, keep my little brother or sister safe,” Abby replied smiling at her as she hugged her in return, “I’ll do it. I don’t care about anyone else, just us and being a family.”
“Okay, I won’t say no to that,” Lisa said, and Corey breathed easier.
“Good, I’ll go make a few calls while you get dressed,” he said dropping a kiss onto her lips. He moved over to the closet and pulled out two outfits, letting it be her choice but knowing which he’d prefer.
Lisa gave him a saucier grin as she came over, taking his favorite dress before giving him a lingering kiss.
“Okay…child in the room,” Abby teased with a full smile as she watched gleefully.
“Sorry sweetie, but I can’t help it,” Lisa stated letting the worry go as she felt herself return to normal. “He’s just incredibly sexy.”
“Mom,” Abby said laughing, still smiling as Corey hung up the second outfit and headed towards the door with a quick kiss for Lisa.
Lisa took a deep breath as she slid into her coat, letting Corey button it for her with a soft kiss before he checked on Abby, making her heart stall when he settled her hat on her head better. That was what she wanted for her daughter, knowing what a real man who only cared would be like and now it seemed that it was happening.
“Are my beautiful girls ready?” Corey asked, looking between them, enjoying the smiles on their faces, the matching ones that had him imagining another tinier one coming along in approximately eight months.
“What?” Lisa said seeing the flash of hunger that hit Corey, it wasn’t desire that was etched in his face, but it was a hunger all the same.
“Just thinking how gorgeous you two are, wondering what the new baby will look like, what it will be like to be here next year with all three of you, I think another girl would be perfect.”
“What if I want a boy?” Lisa teased him. He pulled her tightly against him lifting her face to his with a slow hungry kiss, and this time she read the hunger of desire in his eyes when he lifted his lips from hers.
“Then I’ll make sure you have a boy next time,” he said against her ear making Abby laugh.
“Okay are you two going to actually go to dinner or not? It’s a little warm in here in this many layers,” she said, and Lisa turned her head, holding out a hand to Abby that she gladly took.
Corey slid his arm around Lisa and walked them across the pathway to the lodge, helping Abby with her coat as Lisa slipped hers off, the warmth in the building making them uncomfortable to remain in them for long. He knew he was purposely keeping Abby from the view of the people in the lobby, but he didn’t want her, or Lisa, upset before they reached the dining room. He pressed a kiss to the top of Abby’s head then one to Lisa’s cheek before letting her take Abby’s hand, stepping behind them, a hand on each of their shoulders as they walked into the entryway of the dining room.
“Lisa? Oh, my goodness,” Gabrielle said as she saw Abby, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Lisa and surprise guests. Corey, it’s good to see you again and who’s this little beauty?” Trina said coming over to hug her.
“This is Abby, my daughter,” Lisa stated, and Abby beamed bright enough that even Corey fell a little deeper in love with them both. “Abby this is Trina and Gabrielle; they’ve both worked here for years as well as having been at school with me.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Abby stated leaning into Lisa and she ran a hand down her arm, bare beneath the cap sleeve of her dress.
“You too sweetie…and about time I’d say,” Trina replied with a glance at Lisa’s hand. “And what’s this?” Trina questioned picking up her hand, a gorgeous diamond now resting on it after Corey realized he hadn’t gotten it out until just before he went to dress for dinner.
“Mom and Dad are getting married,” Abby said, and Corey’s heart swelled even further.
“Oh? Dad, is it?” Trina asked him before letting her gaze flow to Lisa.
“He’s the only one I’ll ever claim the only one good enough for Mom,” Abby said putting a smile on Lisa’s lips.
“Yes, he is, we should probably get to our table though, they’re likely waiting on us,” Lisa stated, and Trina nodded moving to her side with a softly spoken word.
“We should talk later…I’m serious Lisa. You need to talk to me,” she said giving her a long look and Lisa nodded lightly before she turned her full attention over to Abby.
She kept her between her and Corey, knowing he would protect her with everything he was, and she wasn’t about to argue over that one right now. As dinner progressed, she saw the looks sent her way and waited for the one confrontation she had expected since she arrived, the one when Colin saw them.
Thankfully, it didn’t happen, and she stayed in the dining room with Abby, Corey, her parents and Diane as the night went by. She walked back to the house sitting with Abby and Corey near the Christmas tree after changing and she waited until after Trina was off duty before going over to the lodge to meet her.
“Do you want me to walk over there with you?” Corey asked as she did up her coat.
“No, stay with Abby, I don’t know what exactly she wants but I won’t let Abby get hurt by their idle curiosity. I’ll be back before it gets too late,” she promised kissing him softly.
“If you’re not back before midnight I’m going to come looking for you.”
“Good, I love you,” she stated kissing him again before heading over to the lodge to meet Trina. She knew exactly where she would be, they’d always used the back part of the game room whenever one of them needed to vent and she moved into it smiling when she saw the bottle of tequila on the table with Trina and Nicole sitting at it.
“So, want to tell us what the hell’s going on or would you rather we guess?” Nicole questioned pouring out the three drinks.
“No thanks, I’m not drinking this trip,” she stated sliding it back over to them as she sat down after shutting and locking the door.
“Really? Why’s that?” Trina asked lifting a brow her way. “We both know you’ve never been that big of a partier so there’s no way that you’ve taken things to the extreme and become an alcoholic. So, what’s up?”
“Not a word of it to anyone…I’m pregnant,” Lisa said, and Trina smiled shaking her head before heading around to grab a bottle of sparkling cider.
“I knew it; I knew there was no way you’d get married unless you were expecting his baby. The creep Johnson certainly deserves to rot in hell for his crap,” Trina stated, and Lisa’s stomach tightened at her words.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, taking a small sip of the drink her voice steady as always.
“You can cut the act Leese…we know, we’ve always known to some extent,” Nicole said, and she gave a laugh and smile not betraying anything.
“Know what? That I got pregnant and wasn’t about to let anyone treat my kid like shit let alone my parents and brothers, so I didn’t tell anyone I was and had Aunt Diane take care of her for me until I graduated,” she stated with ease.
“Stop the crap Lisa,” Trina stated giving her a long look. “We both know what kind of creep Johnson is. We could see how obsessive he was of you in eighth grade and his one-eighty had us totally confused, until you started changing, becoming even quieter. Okay, so at first, we thought that maybe you were into him and you not liking him publicly was to keep everyone from figuring it out.”
“But that stopped about the same time as his accident,” Nicole added. “You were terrified to look over your shoulder and we kept quiet because we didn’t know what would happen if we said anything. When he came back to school you were so withdrawn around him…we wondered if he hadn’t tried to do something to you that night that he crashed his car up in the hills.”
“There’s no reason he would be up there if he hadn’t been coming to see you Lisa, we know that, so whatever it was…why didn’t you tell us or someone?” Trina said when she took in a shaky breath.
“He threatened me with everything and anything…he still is,” she stated closing her eyes for a moment. “Corey doesn’t know I saw him last night, but I had to have his word that he wouldn’t dare come after me again. I said I wouldn’t tell anyone as long as he left everyone, I love out of it. I…I’ve kept Abby from this place and everyone else because of him, because he’d send me photos out and about here…and last Christmas some of me and Corey from New York. Abby was upset at the end of the school year and hopped a bus from California to there. I couldn’t turn her away. She’s my world…so I broke up with Corey and moved us to Chicago to stay safe. We met on the one-year anniversary of our first meeting and before I knew it, we were back in bed together resulting in this baby. When I saw the ultrasound, I knew I couldn’t keep the baby from Corey but that would mean telling my family about Abby…so here I am, getting promises from a monster to protect the most precious thing in the world to me.”
“So, when did you have her?” Nicole asked, sharing a look with Trina.
“April, at the beginning of spring break, I took off a day extra and headed up there, went into labor the day after and had Abby early that morning. I stayed with her, not wanting to leave her for a moment but Diane agreed to take care of her for me and the instant school was out, I was back there with her. He thought I was leaving town because of him…when really, it’s always been because of Abby. I was with her while going to college and up until I moved to New York, I’ve been with her since the end of last school year again.”
“Wow…so I take it that Johnson was your horrible first experience you mentioned to Colin?” Trina asked and she sighed.
“It wasn’t just one experience. It was awful and horrible…but I have his confession on two tapes, one an actual tape the other digital so if he would think about trying to hurt Abby, Corey, or me…I won’t hesitate to use them. I just don’t want Abby to have that label over her…a child of rape…she’s not his. She’s mine and I will kill him before he dares to hurt her.”
“She looks so much like you. I’d be terrified that dirty old man would…” Nicole stopped talking as though realizing what her words would do to her.
“He can’t…the accident left him paralyzed from the waist down and thankfully that part of his anatomy doesn’t function any longer. He can rot in that chair for all I care. After what he did to me…I’m no longer the scared sixteen-year-old who thought I’d go to jail for puncturing his tire with a knife,” she stated seeing the shock that hit the two at that news.
“I knew I was pregnant and wanted a guarantee that he couldn’t begin to hurt me again, so I recorded his gloating confession of what he did to me, told him he’d never touch me again before showing him the tape recorder. He ranted and raved then came after me and I ran. I know the woods up here, where to hide, which path to take to get away quickly, and he came after me in the car. The tire hadn’t entirely deflated; I’d stuck the knife in near the bottom so he wouldn’t see it as easily. He drove off and I saw the whole crash. After he came back, he threatened to get me sent to jail and I didn’t think anyone would believe me when I said what he’d done to me…and I had Abby to think about, if nothing else she would have been proof that he’d slept with me. He’s tried to kill me twice when I’d come to visit…I wasn’t about to risk Abby’s safety for anything, not even for my parents and brothers to understand me,” Lisa said blinking back tears.
“You should have told us, and we should have told you what we knew,” Trina said coming around to hug her. “So, when are you and Corey getting married? I’d snatch him up quick if I were you…especially with that rock.”
“I plan to,” Lisa stated giving them a half-smile. “Judge Henry’s doing the ceremony on Christmas Eve. Corey didn’t know about any of it until yesterday when we got here and not about the baby until after he’d proposed. We got the license and saw Judge Henry this morning in town, got the dresses, and then Corey dug the ring out of his suitcase and gave it to me before dinner. I would marry him without a ring and be just fine with it, seeing him with Abby…that’s what she deserves. That’s what I’m going to give her and this baby, and Benton Johnson can find himself in hell…he’s not dragging me down there with him.”
“Good and we’re here for you if you need us,” Nicole said as the two hugged her tightly. “Now, let’s get you back to that man of yours but first, please tell us he’s good to you.”
“Try ten million times better than Casey and the football game tryst,” she stated making them laugh. “Yes, I already know the whole C name thing…I’ve dated quite a few with C names but no one like Corey. He’s perfect for me. He looked me in the eyes and said he loved me after hearing my horror story. I can’t begin to deny myself that.”
“We’ll make sure you remember that when you flip out before the wedding,” Trina teased, and she was glad she didn’t have to tell them any more than that. They knew to keep things quiet, and she wasn’t about to go advertising anything. There was far too much at stake for that.