Chapter 20
“M akes me wish I’d met her first,” Josh said patting Corey’s shoulder as they watched Lisa help Abby with her coat when they reached the lodge for dinner.
“You’d never be able to handle her, she’d burn you alive, little brother,” Corey stated knowing his brother was simply joking but it still made him a little jealous to hear what other men thought of his girl. It probably always would, but at least he now knew that she would be his and only his as of tomorrow.
“She’s perfect for you, amazing as that is, it’s true,” Josh mused. “I’m happy for you. Seems like everything you’ve ever wanted is finally coming true.”
“Amazingly it is, but in an even better way. Learning about Abby, that keeping her safe was the reason that Lisa left me. That she was keeping her secret from everyone to protect her, and she didn’t want that bastard learning about her and trying to hurt either of them…as much as I hurt, it was nothing compared to what she’s been through. There were times that I’d see her at the office when she wasn’t aware of it, I’d see pain and sadness in her eyes, and all I wanted was to make it better. Now, I know that it’s because she was missing Abby, hated being away from her, and I never want her to feel any of that again.”
“So does that mean that you’re moving to Chicago?” Josh asked, his brow lifting and Corey nodded sending his brother’s brow even higher.
“Abby’s happy there. She’s made a friend there she really doesn’t want to leave, but I know she would if it was the only way to make things work between me and Lisa, but Lisa’s happy there too, and if it’s between Lisa being really, truly happy and the company…I’ll choose Lisa every time. So yeah, I’ve already contacted a realtor to look for places for us in Chicago,” Corey said as his phone buzzed. He gave it a glance and smiled, glancing over at Lisa and Abby. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a surprise for my girls.”
He slid across the lobby to join them, dropping a quick kiss onto Lisa’s lips before giving them a grin. “I hope you don’t mind a few more people joining us tonight, baby.”
“Did your brother bring someone else with him?” Lisa asked, her eyes studying him curiously.
“No, I invited a few others to the wedding. They’re here now,” he added, turning them towards the front doors and a little squeal slipped from Abby when she spied Jazz there.
“Oh my gosh!” Abby gushed, hurrying over to the girl as Lisa’s jaw dropped a bit seeing Jackie there behind David.
“Hope you don’t mind us just showing up, but when Corey called yesterday to let us know you all were getting married then asked if we wanted to come and if Jazz wanted to spend Christmas with Abby, I couldn’t exactly say no, since it’d have been just us if not. Plus, I wanted to meet this guy if he’s going to be around Jazz,” David added while Jackie gave her a tight hug.
“I was so pissed at you for just leaving without a word, but when Corey explained why you really left, I wasn’t about to miss this,” Jackie told her, and she gave her another hug, thankful her friend didn’t still hate her.
“I wanted to tell you about Abby so many times, but I knew you’d ask why I didn’t have her with me in New York,” she said, holding on for an extra moment. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you and Dan…”
“We hadn’t been working for a while, so it wasn’t that big of a deal to lose him as it was to lose you, girl.”
“I can’t believe you came all this way though,” she said before giving Jazz a hug as she and Abby bounced around excitedly still.
“Even sisters fight, but they still love each other, no matter what,” Jackie replied with a grin at the girls. “David and Jazz filled me in on what’s been going on in Chicago on our drive here from the airport. I know it’s been a lot, so I won’t hold it against you for ignoring me for the last few months. No way am I going to miss seeing you get married. Not my girl that swore she was just fine without a man.”
“I was just fine without him, but I’m so much happier with him,” Lisa mused, settling into Corey’s side before they headed in for dinner, making introductions to the family and as the night went on, she couldn’t quite help but be amazed at the way Corey’s brother seemed to perfectly fit with hers.
It also seemed that there was something brewing between David and Jackie. She wouldn’t complain about that, not if it meant her friend coming to Chicago. Everything was going too perfectly it seemed, and she glanced around the dining room, surprised she hadn’t had to deal with Colin this visit.
“Everything okay, baby?” Corey asked, brushing her hair from her cheek as she turned back towards the table.
“Everything’s good, just surprised it’s been so quiet this trip,” she mused as her mom’s attention slid back to them.
“Are you all wanting to do anything special in the morning or for lunch before the ceremony?” she questioned.
“I don’t think so. We’ll probably just do something by ourselves. Last thing I want is to get into an argument and upset the day,” Lisa said, and her mom gave her a smile sending her brow upward.
“If you’re referring to Colin, you don’t need to worry about him. We fired him back in February,” her mom explained surprising her. “He wasn’t happy to learn that you and Corey were still together and said a few things that were extremely uncouth, and we let him go.”
“I guess that’s one thing to be grateful for,” Lisa stated, leaning back into Corey’s hold further. “Sounds like things might go even smoother than expected tomorrow.”
“It’ll be perfect,” Corey assured her, and the next evening as Judge Henry announced them as man and wife, it was even better than perfect. It was everything she’d ever secretly dreamt of and so much more.
“So, how does it feel to be a married woman?” Jackie teased her after dinner as her parents mingled with the crowd.
“Amazing,” she said grinning at Abby and Jazz as they moved around the dance floor with David and Corey. “Now, what’s up with these vibes I’m getting from you and David, hmm?”
“It’s nothing…I mean, he’s cute for sure and Jazz is pretty awesome, but they live in Chicago.”
“Well, so do I, and Corey’s said he’s more than willing to move at least his office there, so we don’t have to move back, and truth be told, we’re liking Chicago more than we ever liked LA or New York. With you and Dan over, what’s keeping you there? You could definitely get a job there just as easily and then you’d be near all of us so you could see if this vibe with David is something. I’d say you could take over my lease whenever Corey finds a place for us to move to, but honestly, you wouldn’t want to stay there.”
“Why’s that?” Jackie asked as the others headed back their way.
“My neighbors are a little bit out there,” Lisa said as Abby slipped into the chair between them, resting her head on Lisa’s shoulder.
“How so?” Jackie questioned.
“Ugh, I can’t stand them. They’ve been asking Mom to have dinner with them, but just her. We’re definitely not upset that Dad asked if we wanted to stay there or move,” Abby said, thankfully not understanding exactly what their neighbors were interested in, but she nodded at the curious look that Jackie sent her.
“Are you girls ready for bed? It’s getting late and I’m pretty sure someone is ready for some sleep,” Corey stated, and Lisa nodded, glad when Abby and Jazz both easily agreed to it.
She curled up on the bed while Corey went into the bathroom to change out of his suit. By the time he came out, she couldn’t do more than sigh as he slid into the bed next to her, giving her a soft kiss as he pulled her into his arms.
Abby woke them early and Lisa snuggled in with her as they passed out presents. The day was incredible as were the next three that went by before Jackie and David had to get back to work. Abby was sad to see Jazz go, but she didn’t want to leave just yet, letting them enjoy a few more days at the resort.
Lisa laughed as they went into the dining room for New Year’s Eve dinner, but the smile fell as a woman called out to Corey. It only took a few seconds for her to recognize her from last year and she turned further into Corey’s hold as he slid his arm around her, while he settled his other on Abby’s shoulder, keeping her close.
“What are you doing here Donna?” Corey questioned, his jaw tightening when Donna tried to lean forward to kiss him. He took a step back, gently bringing Lisa and Abby with him to keep them away from her.
“Well that’s a rude greeting but to answer your question, I enjoyed my trip here last year so much that I just had to come out again this year,” Donna said giving him a smile before sneering at Lisa.
“Oh come off it, Donna. You hate skiing, the snow, and the cold. You wouldn’t willingly come out here unless you were trying to get close to my brother again,” Josh said coming up behind her. “You’re seriously out of your damn mind if you think my brother would go back to you. Not to mention, you’re a week too late. Corey and Lisa got married on Christmas Eve so you’re definitely out of luck.”
“You can’t be serious, you really married this blonde bimbo? You honestly married some slut you met at your bar? Are you really that stupid?” Donna snapped at him and Lisa chuckled a bit at the outraged look on Ashton’s face as he and Kirby came up behind her.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, Lisa and I got married on Christmas Eve. As far as you’re concerned, we were done over three years ago. I’ve had you trespassed from my company’s offices, my home, and the bar. I’d have thought that would be enough to show you that I want nothing to do with you. If you’ve gone through all of the money you got in the divorce settlement, that’s your problem. I’m done with you. I have someone in my life that I’m not going to ever give up, especially not for you. So for the last time, go away. Leave me and my family alone,” Corey added.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m a guest here, so if you don’t like it, maybe you should leave,” Donna returned pulling a sigh from Lisa.
“Actually, as of now, you’re no longer a guest of the resort. See, I don’t care much for people that call my sister nasty things and since our family owns the place, we can have anyone we want removed from the premises. Which means, you need to leave, now ,” Ashton stated.
“I don’t have any way out of here,” Donna snipped at them.
“That’s not a problem. One of my security will take you to the airport,” Corey offered, smirking when Ashton marched her out of the space. It kept a smile on his lips as the clock slipped closer to midnight and he sat with Lisa on his lap while her friends entertained Abby.
“Happy New Year, my love,” Lisa said as the crowd shouted it out around them.
“Happy New Year, Mrs. Cantwell,” Corey replied, giving her a long, slow kiss before Abby launched herself at them, giving them a hug.
He laughed watching Lisa give her a dozen little kisses as his phone buzzed. The message on it made his jaw tighten, but he kept it from the girls as they finished enjoying the party until he knew they were ready for bed. He walked them back to the house and while Lisa was getting ready for bed, he urged Abby to change and come see her mom instead of the other way around for tonight.
“Hey,” Lisa said seeing them both in the room. “What’s this?”
“We’re tucking mama in tonight,” Corey told her as Abby crawled onto the bed with her. “Why don’t you girls sleep in here? I’m not tired yet and I want to make sure that Donna’s gone. I told the guard not to leave the airport without confirming that she was on the plane, and it left with her still on it.”
“Don’t stay up all night,” Lisa said, letting him go after he gave her a soft kiss.
“Night Dad, I love you,” Abby said, melting his heart while making him even more adamant about keeping her safe.
He met up with the remaining guards who confirmed the person that was watching the house was still there. They slipped into the house, staying away from the sight of the windows and waited to see what the man was planning to do.
Corey sat up in the chair in Lisa’s room, keeping an eye on the door just in case while one of the guards was in Abby’s and another was in the hallway just down from Lisa’s room. They weren’t taking any chances with his girls’ safety.
It was closing in on four a.m., the rest of the family in bed for the last hour or two, when there was the slightest creaking sound coming up the steps. He moved to the door as silently as possible and held his breath when the sound of movement was heading down the other way, towards Abby’s room rather than theirs. It’s what they were anticipating would happen if the man tried to break into the house.
They would know Lisa would be with him and less vulnerable. Abby was alone with Jazz gone, the two having spent the time Jazz and David were there having a sleepover.
Within moments he heard a yelp and the sound of something being slammed to the ground. It brought Lisa up and awake, her eyes wide as her arms wrapped around Abby. “What…?”
“It’s okay baby, we’re on it,” he assured her, giving her a gentle kiss before moving to the door to check in with security.
“What’s going on?” Edward demanded hurrying up the steps.
“The police should be here any minute. You’ll want to go let them in,” Corey stated as a man struggled against Jackson’s tight hold.
“This is illegal,” he shouted at them.
“Making a citizen’s arrest of a burglar isn’t illegal,” Jackson returned as a knock sounded on the front door.
It was around five as they moved into the sheriff’s station, Lisa moving Abby to stay in the side room with her mom and Aunt Diane.
“He’s not talking,” Sheriff Hayes told them as she and Corey moved back towards the interview room.
“Has he asked for a lawyer?” Corey asked.
“Surprisingly no, he just sits there. We’ve learned that he’s a private investigator, but that’s about it,” he answered.
“I want to talk to him,” Lisa said, not listening when they said it was a bad idea. “Look, he’s not going to tell you anything, me…it’s another story and I want to know how long he’s been following me.”
“Let her,” a new voice said pulling her attention to the door, finding Judge Henry there. “I’m guessing one of the reasons you’ve kept Abby’s existence quiet is because someone threatened you to keep your mouth shut, or that if people knew about her, it’d cause her…biological donor issues. Add that together with someone breaking into your parents’ place, her room specifically, and I’m guessing that person still lives here and doesn’t want it coming out. How am I doing?”
“Pretty good,” she said, taking a deep breath before moving into the room with the bastard that broke into the house. Thank god for Corey hiring the security guards to keep an eye on them. If anything had happened to Abby, she’d never forgive herself.
Right now, she needed to learn if the man was trying to get in to grab Abby, or if he was simply trying to get something with her DNA for Benton. Considering the timing of it, she was guessing it was the former, which meant he’d broken their deal, and now, he was going to regret ever coming near the most precious thing in her life.