Chapter 25
Carrington House
Searcy, Arkansas
Taylor and Bennett were both up early the next morning.
Taylor had not slept well. She tried calling Greer several times but had not been able to talk to him.
She guessed he was probably at the hospital.
Today, of all days, she would have liked to have had him there with her. But she knew that was not practical.
She tried him once more as she clipped her pearls around her neck. She would forever think of him anytime she wore them. The only other jewelry Taylor wore was her new engagement ring. She had not taken it off since Greer had given it to her.
Once she was dressed in a light beige suit with a soft pink blouse, Taylor came downstairs.
There, she was met by both Bennett and Joules.
They were each dressed in suits and looked very somber.
No one was saying much as they loaded into a blacked-out Suburban that Joules had brought to take them to the office.
A few reporters were still outside the gates, but the numbers had been significantly reduced. Most had relocated to Bennett's office, where they were waiting to pounce.
Just before the three of them got to the office, Bennett said, "Taylor, when this is over, I want you to do exactly what Joules tells you.
We have planned it out to the last second to give you the best chance of getting away without anyone knowing where you are going.
Promise me that you will do exactly what we say. "
Taylor had gotten used to making her own decisions of late and was not exactly comfortable surrendering control. In the end, she sighed and said, "Fine. I will do whatever you ask."
Turning to Joules, Bennett asked, "Is everything we discussed ready to go?"
Nodding, Joules replied, "Yes, everything is just as you requested. I think you will be pleased."
Just then, they pulled into the parking lot of the firm.
Reporters rushed at the car from all directions.
The security guards at the house were now at the firm's back door.
They held the crowd of reporters back long enough for all of them to exit the car.
Once inside, Bennett escorted Taylor to his office door.
He and Joules left her there while they went to make sure everything was ready for the press conference.
As she walked into Bennett's office, Taylor was shocked to see Greer sitting at a library table waiting for them. He looked as delicious as always, dressed in a dark suit with a blue tie. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
Walking over and giving her a quick peek on the lips, Greer said, "Bennett called me last night and told me he was going to do this. He also asked me if I could be here to support you. He sent the plane for me at 5:00, and here I am. How are you holding up?"
Smiling, she said, "I am better now. I hate this for Bennett. This is really a sad day for our state."
"Don't worry so much about that. There will be other races.
People have short attention spans. He can bounce back.
In the meantime, you know he is doing the right thing for all involved.
It is time for this to be over. I want you with me.
" Putting his hand on her stomach, he said, "How's our little guy?
Everything still rocking along in there? "
Nodding, she said, "Yes, I am fine. I want this to hurry up and be over with."
"Well, hang on just a little longer, Darling. I think they are almost ready for us."
At that moment, Bennett and Joules came back to the office.
Bennett closed the door and said, "We are about to go out there.
I am just going to read a short speech, and I am not taking questions.
All I ask of you, Taylor, is that you stand behind me and support me.
Greer, why don't you stand off to the side of Taylor so that you aren't in any of the television shots?
I don't want someone to see this later and make the connection that you were here.
Okay? They will try to ask questions but ignore them. Do you both understand?"
Greer and Taylor both nodded yes. Then, they all followed Joules out to the lobby area of the firm where they had set up for the press conference.
Like the day before, reporters assaulted them with questions the second they entered the room.
Bennett and Joules moved to the front by the podium.
Taylor stayed a little to the back. Greer stood just to the right of Taylor.
Stepping up to the microphone, Joules said, "Senator Carrington will be making a short statement. After which, he will not be taking questions."
Then, Bennett stepped up and read his statement thanking everyone for the support and explaining the need to withdraw from the race due to family issues. He did not go into any detail about what those were. As soon as he was done, they all quickly exited the room.
Several reporters shouted questions about a possible separation or divorce as they went.
Others focused on Taylor and the baby she was carrying.
None of the questions were addressed. Now that it was almost over, the questions did not have the emotional impact they had the day before.
They were simply questions, and they no longer had the power to hurt any of them.
From the back door of Bennett's office, they were all hustled back into the black Suburban and driven to the airport.
Once inside the hangar, Bennett hugged Taylor and shook Greer's hand.
"I hate to do this after you have been so wonderful to help me, but I have to get out of here and go get my family.
You two are going home on the firm's plane. "
Looking at Taylor, he said, "I plan to file divorce papers the second I get back.
I will call you, and we can work out a settlement.
You can have anything and everything you want, except for the house.
I can't give you that because, as you know, it is entailed.
But the rest is yours if you want it. I'll call you, and we can work it out next week.
But for now, I know you are in good hands. "
"We'll figure it out. For now, just go get her. That is all that matters," replied Taylor. At that, she hugged him one last time, and he got in Joules’s car, hoping to throw the reporters off when he left shortly.
Joules hugged Taylor and promised to call her soon. Taylor and Greer boarded the firm's plane and prepared to take off. As they buckled their seat belts, the pilot called, "Are you ready, Mrs. Carrington, to go home?"
Taylor had realized that for the first time in a very long time, she finally knew where home was. She hadn't really had one since her parents and brother had died. Now, she did. It was with Greer.
With a huge smile, Taylor confidently responded, "Yes, thank you.
" Turning to Greer, she whispered, "Wow, I just realized something.
I have not felt like I had a real home of my own since my parents died.
Being with you has given me my sense of home back.
As long as I am with you, I will always be home. You will be forevermore my home."
Wrapping her in a massive hug, Greer said, “You and this baby are the only home I will ever need again, though I guess you are going to tell me we can’t raise a child on a houseboat.”
Laughing, Taylor said, “Well, it might be a little difficult when he or she is learning to walk. So, yeah, we will have to work on getting us a house, but let’s keep the boat. It holds some pretty terrific memories I still can’t completely remember.”
With a bark of laughter, Greer says before devouring her lips in an embrace, “Oh darling, don’t you worry. If I have my way, we will have a million more new black silk memories that you will never forget.”