Chapter 18
Laughter Returns
Lynn
“God, I’ve missed your laugh,”Trevor rumbles into my neck.
I wiggle and squirm as he tickles my sides. We’re having a lazy morning in bed, despite me knowing I can’t stay here all day. I haven’ t been this carefree in years.
I gasp for air as he stops tickling me and looks down at me with a smile on his lips. This feels like it’s been our lives for years. I hate knowing that was stolen from us.
I reach to cup his jaw and stare up at him. He searches my face, then reaches to brush a hand over my hair. He looks good. He has a few laugh lines here and there as he smiles down at me, but time has been kind to him.
“I want to spend the day right here with you. What do you want to do today?” he murmurs.
“I would love to spend the day here, but I can’t. I have so much to do.”
“What could be more important than getting to make up for time we’ve lost?”
“First, I need to let my crew know I’m okay. Then I need to find out if they’ve found a place for us to move to. I need to sneak back into the hotel and then if we have some place to go, we’ll have to sneak me back out and make sure no one follows us to the new location.
“I need to see if I can get Daddy into a private rehabilitation center since that hospital is now off limits. That place is about to be swarmed with reporters. The faster we get him out of there, the better.
“Then I need to get to the main house and look at those books. I think something’s been going on that Daddy’s not telling me about,” I rattle off as I make a list in my head.
“First, let me go do some shopping to make you breakfast. Then I’ll drive in to get your things. You and your team can stay here. There are six other bedrooms here and an apartment below. Y’all will have plenty of room.
“I’ll shop to stock the place while I’m at it. Once your team is settled, I’ll help with Moses. If you want help looking through the books, I can help or call on Ann. She’s great with the bookkeeping for TAB,” he says.
“TAB?” I repeat with my brows knit.
“My construction company, TAB Construction. When Jess was around six, her mama had nearly depleted my trust. I had to do something when she turned up pregnant again. Brad and Ann fronted me the start up cash to put with the little I had left.
“Donna has never known I own the company, and I’ve kept it that way so my kids would have food in their mouths,” he rumbles. “We named it TAB to keep our secret.”
“Trevor Ann and Brad construction. I like it. Although, the more I learn about that woman, the more I don’t like her.”
He leans in to peck my lips. “We don’t ever have to talk about her again for all I care,” he says against my lips as he runs his hand up my thigh.
“I like your plan, but Elise and Matthew will help with Daddy, and if we’re going to stay here, Matt and Wilson will need to stop by for logistics planning.
“You go on and do the shopping. I’ll get the ball rolling for them to get everything set up, and if you don’t mind taking the SUV back, they’ll handle everything else,” I say.
“Sounds like a plan. Can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“Would you want to meet my boys? I know you’ve met Snacks and your practically best friends with Jess. No pressure.”
“Of course, I want to meet them. I love Jess, and Snacks is so sweet. Lord, Trevor, where did she get that name?”
He chuckles. “That’s not as bad a Scoot and Bam. Paige got lucky if you ask me.”
“Scoot and Bam?”
“Paige’s twin Toby is Scoot and my youngest, Johnathan, we call him Bam.”
I laugh and shake my head. “And I thought Babycakes and Pook were something.”
“I’m glad Buck never stuck,” he says.
I roar with laughter. Trevor was so buck toothed when we were younger, the name almost did take. If not for Brian Moss, it would have. Not only was he bucktoothed, but he was bucked off a horse on a field trip after being a jerk the entire day. Buck became his name from then on out.
Trevor eventually got braces, and by junior high school, I don’t believe anyone remembered the time when his smile wasn’t perfect and pearly white. I remember, and even then, he was everything to me.
“How about I bring them over for dinner? They leave for camp in two days, and I would love for you to meet them before they leave.”
“Sounds good. We better get moving. I want to see the rest of this place while I’m at it,” I say with a smile.
He grasps my throat and kisses me passionately. I moan as I wrap my arms around his neck. We keep this up, nothing is going to get done, but I can’t bring myself to pull away.
Thank goodness, he does it for me. The intensity in his eyes as he looks at me takes my breath away. My cheeks heat.
Shyly, I tug the sheet up to cover myself. Trevor chuckles and shakes his head before leaning in to kiss my forehead. I watch as he stands and collects his clothes that are in this room then begins to tug them on.
I have the perfect view of his strong, chiseled body as the morning light streams in through the huge window facing the lake. His ass is a work of art. When he turns to face me as he zips his pants, he has a huge smile on his face.
“You’ve been checking me out since last night, darlin’. Like what you see?”
“I just might,” I say with a smile.
“Good, it’s all yours.”
“In that case. I love what I see and want to see a lot more of it.”
“Oh, you’re gonna see so much you’ll be sick of me before the week is out. Text me if you need me,” he says as he comes back over to palm the back of my neck to kiss me one more time.
I sigh and fall back against the bed as he leaves the room. I get lost in my thoughts as I stare up at the ceiling. We did a lot of talking last night after a few amazing rounds of sex.
There were so many misunderstandings between us. I feel bad that he thought I had something going on with Cody. That was never the case.
Knowing he had that accident while trying to get to me broke my heart like it was yesterday. There’s so much I would change about our past, but that’s not possible.
I have hope for the future though. The way he speaks about his children is so endearing. I can feel the love he has for them. It’s clear to see why Jess loves him so much.
I jump up as the sound of the SUV leaving reaches me. My phone and purse are still in it. I get wrapped up in the covers and trip, laughing at myself as I hit the floor.
I make it into the kitchen with the sheet wrapped around me. A smile comes to my lips as I find my purse on the kitchen island waiting for me. I dig inside my bag to pull out my phone and see messages from Elise and Maggie.
I answer them quickly before calling Matthew to tell him the plan. While the phone rings, I move into the gorgeous living room. This place couldn’t be furnished better if I’d done it myself.
Everything about it says me. The colors, the accents, the airy vibe. It’s all the things I dreamed it would be.
“Hey, you all right?” Matthew answers the phone.
“Yeah, I’m great. I have a new place for us. It’s perfect,” I say as I look around.
“Hold on, let me get Elise. She’s been working on finding a place and making calls to get your dad into a facility.”
“Is that her?” I hear Elise say in the background.
“Yeah, she says she has a place for us.”
“I bet she does. Put her in speaker.”
I roll my eyes and fall back onto the couch. I sigh when I feel how comfortable it is. Like it’s just been waiting for me all this time.
“Hello, Miss Missy. Where have you been all night?”
“In the house he built for me on my lake. He built my dream home. It’s been sitting here waiting for me. We can stay here. Matthew, you and Wilson can come by and do your thing.
“I don’t think I should come back the hotel. That will only create a greater chance they’ll find where we’re staying. I want you guys to coordinate with Trev to get this done today,” I reply.
“So we’re just going to gloss over the fact that you’ve been gone all night,” Elise hisses.
“We don’t have to gloss over it, but I’m not talking about it over speaker phone with Matt listening in. You want to talk about it, we can talk when you get here.”
“Fine, did you guys at least make up?”
“He didn’t write that letter to me.”
She gasps on the other end. “I knew it. I told you there was no way. Ugh, let me get these guys going so we can get there,” she says excitedly.
“Lynn, we’ll head over to check the place out in a bit. We’ll be out of this place by tonight for sure. You need anything else?”
“I just need to make sure my daddy isn’t pulled into all this mess. Can we leak some other reason for me being here?”
“Elise and I will put our heads together and get something out there. Your fans already know you made the cancellations for a family emergency. We’ll just spin something to throw them off.”
“Ugh, this is such a pain,” I groan.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ve got you. I’ll keep you posted. See you in a bit.”
“Um, can you have Maggie pack me a bag until my things are brought in?”
“I’ll have her pack your suitcases and we’ll bring them ahead. How’s that?”
“That would be great. Thanks, Matthew.”
“Anytime, baby girl. I’m here to help.”
I hang up the phone, happier than I’ve been in a long time. Needing to take a shower, I jump up and grab my dress to put back on until my things arrive.
As I make my way back into the master bedroom, I note how much this feels like home. This house was a labor of love. I no longer doubt Trev’s love. I don’t even blame him for what happened.
However, I am curious to know what Jess’s secret is. That woman better be clear of Texas when it comes out if it affects Trevor in anyway. I’ve never seen him as angry as he was last night.
And I’ve seen that temper get hot over the years. Knowing what I know, I can’t say I blame him, but she’s not going to get my man that angry ever again, if I have anything to say about it.
Oh, she and I will have words, that’s a promise.
* * *
Trevor
“Our secret placewas her home all along, wasn’t it?” Jess asks through the phone as I push the buggy around the grocery store.
“Yeah, it is. At least I’ve always wanted it to be.”
“That’s so sweet, Daddy. You sound so happy. Of course I can drive your truck over. I’m already on my way. You need me to do anything else?”
“Can you let Scoot and Bam know to be cleaned up and ready for dinner? I’ll pick them up later to take them to the house.”
“You want them to meet her? Oh my God, are you nervous? They’re going to love her,” she gushes.
“I hope so. I know this is fast?—”
“Daddy, it’s been two years since we left. Besides, you deserve to be happy. We’ll be fine.
“We all have eyes. We know you haven’t been happy. We saw how she treated you, and we can see how she treats everyone else. I think seeing you happy will trump everything,” she says.
“Thanks, Jess. I needed to hear that. Listen, I need to finish up this shopping and head back.”
“Trevor Monroe?”
I turn at the sound of my name to find two officers staring at me expectantly. My blood begins to boil already knowing what this is about. Donna is hellbent on making my life hell.
“Jess, call your uncle and have him meet me at the precinct. I’m being arrested.”