7. Vail
7
VAIL
My sister had been putting on a brave face since what happened with Gil. The kids saw little when it took place. When everything awful started going down and I was upstairs with Gil, Oleander grabbed Carson, tucking him against his chest so he saw nothing, while Sheldon pulled Cat and Ivy free from the home. Cat tried to shield them the best she could before Oleander and Sheldon got to them. Even Carson’s earbuds couldn’t muffle the sounds of what went on. They were also tucked into a part of the house that didn’t see most of the carnage.
I’d visited my sister and the kids since then, sat with them while Cat stayed close, and Carson played like it was any other day. There was no way to tell what kind of trauma would unfold later. Carson had already talked with a therapist and so had Cat. While Carson hadn’t been back, Cat went weekly.
Cat put on a brave face for everyone around her. Dana confided in me that, at night, he held her through her nightmares. She woke with tears streaming down her face as she cried in his arms. She cried for me and what I’d experienced. For her kids and the threat they’d been under. And she cried for herself. She couldn’t unsee or not feel what she’d been through.
My sister. My brave, tough as nails, would give a person the shirt off her back, sister.
And Gil destroyed part of her.
She’d even brought the kids to my home a couple times to play with Tahoe and just hang out. As much as Dana wasn’t a fan of Jordan, Cat felt safe there. It was one of the few places she did. Greer even outfitted their house with a custom security system. But when you were dragged from your home like Cat was with her children, I wasn’t sure she’d ever feel secure there again.
Then Ava came into our lives. When I shared the news with Cat, I saw glimpses of who my sister was prior to that nightmare. She was ready to do whatever she could to help us with Ava. Cat had a huge heart, always did.
Ava wasn’t ready to meet new people yet. That was, until today.
After school, I met Ava and Julia downstairs where we got into an SUV with Oleander and drove to my sister’s house.
“Are you sure you’re ready to meet my family?” I asked Ava for the third time. I’d been trying to slow the introduction of others to her, not wanting to overwhelm her.
“I have to get out of the building and do something besides going to school,” she replied.
“You’ve seen your friends.”
“But they look at me with sad eyes, not the way they used to. I don’t want to be around that all the time.”
“Well, Cat won’t do that. She’s excited to meet you.” My sister said she wanted this to be a fun experience and not focus on the bad, though if Ava wanted to talk, Cat would be there. She just wasn’t starting the conversation.
“You’re going to love her,” Oleander said from the driver’s seat. “She’ll feed you, make you comfortable, and really give you a warm welcome.”
I smiled. “Ollie would know. Cat would let him move in if he wanted to.”
“Your sister is one of my favorite people.”
“Now I can’t wait to meet her,” Julia said.
Ava was warming up to Julia. They were talking more with each passing day to and from school. Julia was kind and didn’t anger easily, even when Ava had preteen attitude, which was something I’d come to not enjoy so much.
God, was I really like that at her age? Was I worse? The preteen and teen years were rough, I remembered that. Lots of highs and lows, especially for me and what I dealt with regarding my family and me coming out to them.
But Ava… A switch would flip, and she’d go from perfectly sweet to giving us attitude. I was sure some of it was what she’d been through, but it was hard not to punish her when she spoke meanly toward us. I’d seen Jordan clench his jaw while Hartley put on a forced smile. Then again, Jordan clenched his jaw over most things. I’d tried talking to her, letting her know I was there. The response was a slammed door.
“There they are,” Oleander muttered, his eyes on the rearview mirror.
I turned to see another Lincoln Navigator behind us, exactly like the one we rode in. “Who’s in it?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say Shel and Vinny. I was surprised Jordan let you go with only Julia and me.”
Julia scoffed. She had no love for Jordan; however, she respected him for wanting to protect Ava. That was something they could agree on.
“It could be worse,” I told them. “At least it’s just one car and not more.” Jordan had hired additional guards since Ava came to live with us. They were people he was training to work for him while he moved others up, Vincent being one of them. Those on family detail were trusted more. The only reason Barry didn’t guard us was due to him being the head of security for Jordan and needed at the building to run things. He’d only step in to guard if it was a necessity.
Julia and Oleander talked while Ava looked out the window at the houses passing by. It was in the quiet moments when we didn’t need to say anything that she’d sometimes share a memory of her mom or talk to us about school.
At least we were able to bring her things to our place from the apartment she shared with her mom. Jordan’s men set up her bedroom as close as they could to the way it was with Ava’s help. She cried that night, lying on her bed, missing her mom. I hated how I couldn’t make it better for her. All I could do was look to the future and be there for her. Provide her with a safe and stable environment. Many wouldn’t agree Jordan was stable, but he was there for Hartley and me every time. He was steadfast in his strength and understanding of what we needed.
The rest of the contents of the apartment were stored on a lower level of the building in a safe space where, even if the city streets flooded, which they didn’t, nothing would get to Celine’s belongings. Well, now Ava’s. If Ava wanted to go through them, she could. If not, they’d still be there for her to do as she wished with. Nothing was thrown out. Not a single sticky note, brush, or spoon.
We finally pulled into my sister’s driveway. Both her and Dana’s vehicles were there. It wasn’t surprising. Dana was working less at Untouchable. Dexen had been more flexible with the schedule. He even offered to give Dana extended time off with pay, but Dana said he needed to stay busy. While he wasn’t back to his regular hours yet, he still worked.
The other SUV parked next to us, Sheldon waving at Julia.
Carson didn’t come tearing out of the house like usual when we pulled up. Instead, it was Dana opening the door, greeting us. His dark hair was wet, like he’d just gotten out of the shower. He wore a T-shirt and jeans, and his feet were bare.
“Vail,” he said with a soft smile. He pulled me in for a hug. “It’s good to see you. It’ll be good for Cat too.” No one worried more about my sister than Dana. He loved her with everything he had. It was breaking him to see her upset.
“I’m glad we came.” Leaning back, I moved to reveal Ava, who stood behind me. “Dana, this is Ava.”
Dana smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. I hope you like chocolate. I baked a batch of white chocolate marshmallow muffins.”
“Um, what?” I asked. “How have I not had these?”
“I save them for special occasions.” He winked. “Plus, I literally made the recipe up today.”
Before I could say anything else, Carson rushed toward me, slamming into my legs. “Hey, buddy,” I said, lifting him into my arms and introducing him to Ava. He cuddled against me. It would never get old holding my nephew and niece, especially after the fear of losing them.
I walked into the house with Carson still against me and Ava behind me. Oleander and Sheldon filed in, with Vincent staying outside with Julia. Luckily, it was a beautiful day with only a slight chill in the air. I couldn’t wait until spring gave way to summer.
Cat stood in the living room with Ivy in her arms. “Vail,” she said on an exhale. The moment Oleander was next to me, Cat handed Ivy off so she could hug me. Cat was as worried about me as I was about her.
Carson wiggled to get down, then took Ava’s hand in his, trying to drag her to his room to play.
“Why don’t we let Ava sit for a bit before you show her your toys,” Cat said.
Carson nodded but then looked up at Dana, who groaned and went into the kitchen, no doubt to get the muffins. That boy had his parents wrapped around his finger.
“Ava, this is my sister, Cat.”
Ava smiled nervously. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too, but there’s no need for formalities. Have a seat. Just watch that you don’t sit on one of the kids’ toys. Some of that stuff is pointy and doesn’t feel good if you land on it.”
Ava’s smile grew, and she sat in one of the chairs. “Thank you for inviting me to your house. Vail has told me a lot about you.”
Cat sat on the couch next to me and leaned forward to fake whisper, “Don’t listen to anything he says. They’re probably lies.”
That got a small laugh out of Ava, then her eyes widened when they latched on to Cat’s shirt. “You like Ruined and Relinquished?”
“Like them? I’m Dash Meadows’s number one groupie.”
“I think that’s Romeo or Tristan,” I cut in.
“Shush,” Cat chastised. “Dash sweat all over his own shirt and gave it to me. I cherish it like an award of my groupie status. ”
“Ew, you haven’t washed it yet?”
She sighed dramatically. “I did, but only because Dana wouldn’t come near me if I wore it without it being clean. I’m very disappointed in him.”
“Yes,” Dana said dryly when he came into the room. “It’s my fault for not wanting my wife to wear another man’s sweat on her body.” He set a plate of muffins on the coffee table as well as small plates and napkins. “Ava, what would you like to drink? We have juice, milk, tea, and water.”
“Juice, please.”
He nodded and went back to the kitchen.
“Anyway,” Cat said, continuing where she left off. “I’m guessing you like them too?”
“They’re great. And the romance between Casper, Reed, and Elic…” She grinned.
“Ah, a romance lover like me. We have so much to talk about.”
Ava leaned closer, engrossed by the conversation with my sister. I couldn’t help but smile as I grabbed a muffin, interested in how they came out.
The muffin only got halfway to my mouth when Cat asked, “Didn’t Vail tell you he knows the band, as in he’s friends with them?”
Oh shit. I should have, but in my defense, I didn’t even think about them until we were here, and Cat’s shirt was in my face. It shouldn’t surprise me Ava would like them too.
“You know the band?” Ava asked, eyes big in shock.
It was a good thing I cared about her, or I would have taken a bite first. The muffin looked really good, and the scent was mouthwatering. “I’m friends with them.”
“He’s being modest,” Cat stated. “He gave Slater, Cody, and Milo a cooking lesson. ”
Ava gasped. Now she was leaning closer to me.
If this was something we could bond over, I was all for it. Plus, it gave my sister a way to connect with Ava. Too bad the band was touring overseas, or I’d introduce her. Now I had something to look forward to doing with her when they got back.
Sheldon moaned loudly, drawing our attention to him. He froze, muffin in hand. “What? This muffin is damn good.”
We didn’t bother telling the guards not to swear in front of Ava. I’d been there when Celine had, and when Gil had as well. Neither in anger, more in conversation. So, I didn’t feel like I was going against Celine when we did so in front of Ava. That didn’t mean we’d start cursing up a storm, but every once in a while didn’t matter.
“You’re gross,” Oleander told him. “Also, I’m hungry. Take Ivy so I can have a muffin.”
Sheldon took three measurable steps back, bringing his muffin with him. “You’re on your own. I’ll let you starve before I take that baby.”
Ava looked at him curiously. “You don’t like babies?”
Sheldon shook his head. “Nope. I like this muffin though. So much I’m going to enjoy it outside and send Vinny or Julia in.” With that, he slipped out the door, Vincent stepping in a few seconds later.
“I hear there are muffins and also a baby I get to cuddle.”
Oleander stood to hand off Ivy and swiped a muffin from the plate. I finally got the chance to eat mine, and it didn’t disappoint. I’d have to get the recipe from Dana.