Chapter 15
Orion
“Grandmother, I really wish you would stay overnight for observation,” I said.
She ignored my pleas and turned to Doctor Finn O’Connor. “Didn’t you say that my heart sounded strong?”
“I did. But it might not be a bad idea to spend the night. I promise we will make you so comfortable you will think you’re home,” Finn said.
She wasn’t buying it. “That’s impossible. I have everything I want and need at home.”
Mayson said, “Grandmother we can’t have you spending the night alone. If anything happened to you, we’d never forgive ourselves.”
It was nice hearing those words come from Mayson. I usually was the one voicing my concerns. About time little brother.
“Grandmother, if you won’t listen to what I say, then listen to Dr. O’Connor or Mayson,” I stated firmly.
She looked at Mayson and asked, “Will you stay with me tonight if I agree to spend the night here in the hospital?”
“Grandmother, you don’t need Mayson here. They have people who can help you if you need it,” I explained. I knew Mayson wasn’t going to interrupt his ‘love life’ for anything.
She shot me a look. “I wasn’t asking you. I was asking your brother.”
“If that’s the only way you will agree to spend the night, then I will stay with you, Grandmother,” Mayson said.
I was blown away. I would have never guessed that he’d agree. What the hell was going on? “You’re really going to stay with her?” My tone didn’t hide my shock.
“I said I would, didn’t I?” Mayson replied. “It’s not like you can. You have a lot to take care of right now.”
“Especially with his new lady friend, Raya. Have you met her? She’s lovely.” She turned to Finn and said, “He brought her to my home last night to introduce her to me. It’s the first time he’s ever brought a woman home and he’s almost forty. So, I will stay at the hospital so I can be around for their wedding and hopefully get to rock my great-grandchildren.”
I felt my heart skip a beat and was sure Finn was about to have another patient on his hand. I met Finn’s gaze, and he seemed taken aback by her announcement too. Mayson was just standing there grinning. Fuck you. If you even open your mouth, I’m going to shut it. Time for me to put an end to these rumors before they spread. “Grandmother, you shouldn’t talk like that.”
“Why not? It’s true. Did you not bring her to meet me last night?” she asked.
“We came by to make sure you were feeling well.” That reminded me that I needed to tell Mayson about the loaded gun.
“You’ve checked on me before and never brought a woman,” she challenged. I had no comment. She did. “And Raya was lovely.” She turned back to Finn and asked, “Have you met her?”
“I have,” Finn replied.
“Don’t you think they look good together?” she asked.
I let out a long-exasperated sigh. “We are not together. We’re just friends.”
Mayson laughed. “Okay. Just very friendly. I mean, I don’t kiss my friends.”
I never kissed Raya in front of Mayson. That much I knew for sure. Did he catch her in my arms? Yeah. But that wasn’t a kiss. Not that we hadn’t been kissing. But he was just adding fuel to the fire, and he was enjoying it too fucking much.
This is the Mayson I know. Always pushing my buttons. But it was dangerous pushing them when it came to Raya. That’s too far.
Finn tried coming to my rescue. “I’ll have your room set up so Mayson can stay with you. Is there anything else you will need?”
She shook her head and turned to me asking, “You don’t look at her like she is just a friend.”
“Grandmother, this isn’t about me and Raya. This is about your health. Can we please focus on that?” I suggested. No matter what there was between us, my grandmother’s wellbeing was important. I knew Raya would agree if she were here. At the moment, I was glad she wasn’t, so she didn’t need to hear all of this.
She shook her head. “I do not know why you are pretending as though she doesn’t mean that much to you. Can you imagine how hurt she would feel if she heard you? I know it breaks my heart just listening to you.” She turned back to Finn and asked, “Do you ever deny your love for your wife?”
“Please, Grandmother. Dr. O’Connor is not here to discuss his personal life.” Neither am I.
“Orion, I thought I brought you up better than this. I do not know why you are interrupting me when I am speaking to someone. Now, as your brother said, you are a very busy man. Why don’t you go and attend to something and leave us to finish our conversation,” she stated.
If I stayed and argued with her, it would only get worse. She was right. I was raised not to talk back to my elders, and I have never done so before. But this wasn’t about me. It was Raya that I worried about. Marriage. Children. Not casual topics.
I walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Sleep well, Grandmother. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Then stopped by Mayson and said, “Call me if you need me. Don’t care what time. Understood?” He nodded. One last person to talk to. Leaning over to Finn, I whispered, “Can you give her something to make her forget this conversation.”
He chuckled softly. “Sorry. What she has isn’t something I want to fix.” I looked at him for a second and he whispered. “Hope. The best medicine there is.”
As I left the examination room I wondered if everyone had lost their minds. Maybe I’m the one who needs some medication because none of this makes sense to me.
I got into the SUV and immediately dialed Raya. I had texted her earlier that I was going to be late. She had responded saying that we could make it another time. Very sweet of her. But Joey was going to be here in a couple of days. We needed to make the most of our time together. Time alone. It was still early enough for us to enjoy our evening.
“Hello, Orion. How is your grandmother?” she asked.
“Fine. They are keeping her overnight just to make sure,” I said.
“Oh, she must be so scared. You’re staying with her, right?” she questioned.
Not you too. “Raya, she’s fine. And my brother is staying with her.”
“Mayson?”
She sounded as surprised as I had been. “I know, I feel the same, and wouldn’t have left, but Finn said it was best. She needed rest. And as long as someone was with her until she fell asleep, it would be all good. And if I was there, she’d talk half the night.” Asking questions about us.
“If you say so. But I hope you didn’t leave her just because of me,” she said.
“My grandmother practically threw me out. If I had stayed, it would’ve only agitated her, and I’m sure that is not what she needs right now. So, as you see, the best thing I can do is pick you up and take you to dinner. I know I promised to cook, but that will need to wait for another time.”
Being in a restaurant with her wasn’t what I wanted, but at least I was still feeding her.
“Why don’t you come to the resort, and I’ll order room service for us. This way we don’t have to deal with...onlookers. Does that sound okay to you?” she asked.
Just her and I alone in her room? Yeah. Sounded wonderful. Except for one problem. No way was I going to go unobserved being there all night. We would be the hot topic and not in a good way.
“How about I pick up dinner, and you meet me at the house? This way we have our privacy and neither of us need to deal with anyone else. I’ll even call and ask Bennett to drive you,” I said.
“I can do that. What’s on the menu?” she asked.
Me? I wasn’t hungry for anything besides her. But the truth was, I was emotionally exhausted. There were things I wanted to talk to her about, just not tonight. It was important and shouldn’t be rushed. I needed her to know that she was important to me. That what was...growing between us, was special. She’s special.
“What would you like?” I asked.
“Something simple. How about...”
“Pizza?” I said.
She chuckled. “You know the way to my heart.”
I sure in hell hope so, because you seem to have captured mine.
“See you at my place in an hour?” I asked.
“Perfect. See you then.”
She ended the call, and I went to order dinner at the only place you could get it in Tabiq. I never had been there until Raya mentioned it was her favorite. I hadn’t asked her, but so far, she seems to have avoided eating any traditional Tabiqian foods. I would’ve thought she’d have missed it with being gone for so long. Instead, she is drawn to American cuisine. Not something I enjoy all that much.
What you do for love.
It was the first time I admitted that to myself. I loved her. Damn it. How did that happen so fast? I wasn’t looking for it, and hell the timing couldn’t be worse. Yet here it was.
I should be happy with this revelation. To have found someone like Raya in the midst of everything else going on, was a miracle. Tonight, should be spent in celebration. But this wasn’t all about me and where I was in my life. I needed to think about Raya.
She had so much stress in her life, not that I didn’t but hers was different. It was something I had never experienced in my life. It was a mother’s love. For Raya, that identified who she was more than any college degree or job title. And that made the pain all the more severe.
I heard it when she talked about Joey. And then there were times when her mind seemed miles away, and I knew she was thinking of him. Every moment that he was in the States and she was here, it was killing her.
Although I was doing my best to be supportive and keeping her mind occupied, there was only so much I could do. She wasn’t going to be truly happy until Joey arrived in a couple of days. And all this preparation for his arrival was making her anxious. She was trying to make everything perfect for him so that he could adjust as smoothly as possible. But I was no fool. If all of this failed, and Joey hated it here in Tabiq, she wouldn’t stay. They would pack up and head back to the US.
It wasn’t as though I could follow her. Not now. Just like her, I had responsibilities. To my grandmother and to my country.
Telling her that I was falling in love with her right now, wasn’t fair to her. It would give her another thing to worry about, our relationship. No matter how physically difficult it was, I couldn’t act on my desires. I could kiss her, hold her, but not make love to her. Not yet. Even if she thought she was ready and wanted it too, we needed to wait.
There will be time. And when it happens, it will be all the better.
I was telling myself this because I needed strength to do the right thing. I wasn’t someone who was driven by what my cock wanted, but this was not just about my cock. It was the first time my heart was involved as well. That made the built-up need within me all the more powerful. And Raya was definitely hard to resist.
It wasn’t long before I had the pizza and Raya in my vehicle, and we were on our way to the house. She seemed...distracted. Was she worried about us taking the next step too?
“Raya, if you changed your mind, we could just have dinner and I’ll bring you back to the resort. No problem. I don’t want you to feel any pressure to spend the night. And for the record, I was just looking forward to holding you, nothing more,” I half lied.
She turned to me and said, “I want to stay with you. It’s just that... I have a lot on my mind.”
“Understandable. Your son is going to be here in a few days. And you’re only two weeks into your new position. Add the fact that you’re moving into a house that you’re not familiar with and I’d have been surprised if you didn’t feel overwhelmed.”
Raya shook her head. “Actually, you’ve been a great help to me while I was dealing with all of this. I would honestly be a hot mess if you hadn’t. But this is something else.”
“Joey?” I asked, now concerned even more. She shook her head and I prodded. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shrugged. “I should, but I don’t even know what to make of it.”
“I’m here to listen,” I offered.
“Remember me talking about Joseph, my ex?”
I nodded, a knot already in my gut. “What about him?” Is he dead? That was a horrible thing for me to think about. I didn’t know the guy, but he had abandoned Raya and Joey and that made me hate him. Should also be glad he had, because if not, then she wouldn’t be here with me right now.
“He sent me a text message after I talked to you earlier,” she stated.
What the fuck. Was he trying to get her back after all these years? From her face, she was struggling with something major.
“Do you want to tell me what he said?” I asked.
“He asked me where I was,” she replied.
Well, I was right. He’s looking for them. But why? “What did you say?”
“I didn’t reply. Why should I? I have not seen him since the day at the divorce court. I have nothing to say to him,” she said firmly.
I didn’t want to bring it up, especially tonight, but I needed to. “Do you think he has changed his mind and wants to see Joey?” Not that the guy deserved it, but I was thinking more about Joey. Not sure how or what he was thinking. Hell, I haven’t even met him myself and I care more about him than his own father.
“That’s what I am afraid of. I...I don’t want someone like him in Joey’s life. He deserves a man...a real man like...like you. Not like Joseph.” Like me? That was the greatest compliment she could have ever given me. I wanted to pull her into my arms but the best thing I could do for her was listen. And she needed to talk. “But I was young and dumb and didn’t choose wisely. Joey shouldn’t pay that price. It’s not his fault,” she sniffed back tears.
I could hear the disgust in her tone when she talked about her ex. Couldn’t blame her. Reaching over I took her hand in mine. “Raya, the man might be the biggest piece of shit, but remember, without him, you wouldn’t have Joey.”
She looked up into my eyes and smiled slightly. “Thank you for reminding me of that. I don’t care what Joseph put me through or plans on doing, I would do it all over again to have my Joey.”
"You must be going through hell right now wondering what he wants. I don't want to overstep, but we do have people here who could look into this for us, I mean for you," I said, quickly correcting myself.
She raised a brow. "Tabiqian law does not apply in the US. But I thank you for even offering," she stated.
"I wasn't suggesting our local law enforcement. I do not have all the details, but I can tell you that Bennett Stone is very well-connected. Hell, the entire Henderson family is. If you feel as though something is wrong, we can ask them for help," I said.
"Orion, why would they help me? I mean, Alex and Ziva Henderson were nice enough to help me look for a place, but that is a huge difference from helping me find out what my ex wants. And it might be nothing. Maybe he bumped into someone who made him feel guilty for not knowing anything about his son. Trust me, it will pass. I probably won't hear from him again," she replied.
I hope that is the case. For you and Joey.
"If you change your mind, the offer stands. I will make the calls for you if you want,” I offered.
“How about we try to forget all about Joseph tonight? I mean, I can smell the pizza and I know you have had a stressful day yourself.”
Giving her hand a gentle squeeze I said, “Don’t worry about me. I’m okay. I really am. But maybe you’re right. We should go and eat and maybe watch a movie?”
“Movie? I haven’t watched a movie in years. And by that, I mean one that I would want to watch. Joey loves superhero movies and Sci-Fi. I’m more of a drama person. Or maybe a good mystery. Even a comedy,” she said.
“How about I let you pick it tonight, and I’ll choose next time?” I suggested.
“Perfect. But you might regret that,” she said.
“Why?” I was afraid to ask.
With a huge grin, she said, “I might have forgotten romance on the list of genres. And I know of a few good ones that I have been dying to see. But don’t worry. It’s more of an action/romance/comedy.”
“All of that in one movie?” I said.
“When you don’t get to watch them often, you need to find one that packs it all into one,” she laughed.
“Okay, then action/romance/comedy it is tonight. But hope you have the stomach for horror,” I said. Her eyes widened and I quickly added, “I was just joking. I’m not one for horror.” We’ve lived through enough of it already. “I like action and comedy. So, I’m sure I can handle whatever you pick for us.” Because I won’t be concentrating on the TV.
We went into the house, got some plates and soda, and headed for the living room. I was glad we weren’t sitting at the kitchen table. This was more relaxing, and we could watch the movie at the same time.
Raya's choice of movies was something I surprisingly enjoyed. ‘Red’ had it all. I even found myself suggesting we watch ‘Red 2’ tomorrow night. That meant another night of us staying together.
But the movie was over, and it was obvious that neither knew what to say. Where to go from here? Taking the pressure off her, I said, “We have three bedrooms here. You may choose whichever one you like. I’ll be okay on the couch.”
Raya placed her hand on my thigh and said, “Orion, I don’t want you to sleep on the couch. We’re grown-ups. We can share a bed.”
Not if you touch me like that.
I wanted her hands all over me, and my lips all over her.
“If that is what you want,” I said.
“I want you to hold me. Snuggle me. I want to sleep in your arms,” she said.
Sleep. Not sure I’m going to get any of that while spooning you.
Taking her hand, I got up and said, “Let’s go to bed. We both have work in the morning.” And I’m going to be dragging ass because I’m already exhausted.
When we got into what was my old bedroom, she said, “I hope you don’t mind but I have already started putting my things in your drawers.” She opened the top drawer and pulled out black silky pajama top and matching pajama shorts. “I didn’t touch anything in the other bureau”
Not that it mattered but I was hoping she was going to pull out some long flannel night gown that covered her from chin to toes like my grandmother wore. Should’ve known that even simple pj’s would somehow be sexy. Then again, I had a feeling that she could wear farmer jean overalls and dirty boots to bed, and still look sexy as hell.
When I suggested she spend the night, I hadn’t thought it through fully. I didn’t own a pair of pajamas. I liked to sleep naked. If I slept in my pants, that would be ridiculous, and she’d tell me so. “Do you mind if I sleep in my boxer shorts?”
“Do they have Spiderman or the Hulk on them?” she teased.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but they are black. Maybe blue. Guess we’ll find out in a minute,” I said, undoing my belt buckle.
I was horny as hell, and as soon as I dropped my pants, she was going to know it too. I felt her watching my hand and I knew I needed to step away for a minute. Just to regain my self-control.
I headed out of the bedroom, and she asked, “Where are you going? Not to the couch, are you?”
“No. Just want to make sure the doors are all locked,” I lied. I had locked the doors as soon as we had entered. I walked and pretended to check each window and door making sure they were secure. Then stopped in the kitchen and downed a glass of ice-cold water. I needed the ice elsewhere though. My cock was still hard.
I heard her calling out my name in panic, “Orion!”
Rushing back to the bedroom, she was standing there in her pajamas, holding her cell phone. “Look. Look what he just sent me.”
“Who?” I asked. “Joseph?”
She nodded and handed me the phone. “He has to be joking. This can’t be real,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
Reaching for her phone, I read the message.
I WANT FULL CUSTODY OF MY SON. SEE YOU IN COURT.
Now I understood why she was crying. Joseph was going after what she loved most in life. Her child.
Pulling her into my arms, I held her tightly and said, “Raya, we’re not going to let that happen. He hasn’t been part of Joey’s life for ten years. We will make the courts see that.”
“How? He has money. He can afford a good lawyer. I am the one who has worked and all the money I make has gone to supporting Joey. Giving him a good life,” she sobbed. “I can’t afford to fight him. He’s...he’s going to win. I’m going to lose my son.”
“No. You won’t,” I said.
“Orion. You don’t know his family. They have some serious money and clout. That is why I got nothing in the divorce court. No help at all. He was just free to leave us,” she said. “They even made it hard for me to get a job. But I didn’t quit and took whatever job I could get to pay our bills and keep food on the table. But all that means nothing because he’s evil and has decided for some unknown reason to hurt me even more.” She wiped her cheeks but instantly they were replaced with more tears. “Now he’s going to take Joey. And I don’t have the power or money to stop him.”
When it came to Tabiq, I was doing good for myself and could hire the best attorney in the country. But I didn’t have what she needed in order to fight Joseph in the US. Not if what she knew was still accurate. She hadn’t heard from him in years. Maybe he was down on his luck and couldn’t afford a lawyer himself. But I couldn’t take that chance. Neither could Raya. And he needed to be stopped.
“Raya, you might not but we know who does. The Henderson family has the clout and the connections that most people can’t touch. We need to bring them in and let them help. Trust me, Joseph is going to regret ever threatening you. He will back down before it ever goes to court,” I said. Even if I need to make him do so myself.
“I can’t ask them to help,” she said.
“You don’t need to. I can,” I said.
She shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that for me. I...I need to leave and go home. Back to the States and find a way to fight him in court.”
That is exactly what I was trying to avoid. Her leaving. And if she does, my gut said Joseph was going to do everything in his power to hurt her. Just don’t understand why. What made him change his mind?
“As the Vice President of Tabiq, we cannot afford to lose you as School Administrator. Due to that, I will put in an official request for the Hendersens' help. If you allow me to, I’d like to set up a meeting to talk to them in the morning,” I offered. Hopefully she would accept the help if it wasn’t purely on a personal level.
Raya sniffed and her sobs quieted. “I...I don’t know what to do.”
“Then let me do it for you.” She might have studied psychology in college, but I had done quite a few courses in law that she wasn’t aware of. It had shown me that practicing law wasn’t what I wanted to do. I wanted to help the youth in Tabiq. But it did give me knowledge and now I knew her rights, and I knew who could enforce them. “This can be handled privately, without anyone knowing what’s going on.”
“How is that possible?” she asked.
“The Henderson family deals with keeping their lives private every day. They have mastered the art of keeping secrets. No one will know anything you don’t want them to know. Is that fair?” I asked.
“Yes, it is,” she replied. “I...I trust you, Orion.”
That was huge. It wasn’t a case about money. This was her son. She was trusting me to do what was best for Joey and her. I wasn’t going to let either of them down.
All I needed to do was decide which Henderson I wanted to reach out to and set up a meeting for the morning.
“Come. Let’s go lay down and get some sleep. We are going to need it tomorrow,” I said.
She nodded and we went and slipped beneath the covers. I laid on my back and she placed her head on my chest. Neither of us moved, and the only words spoken were sleep well. Something we both knew wasn’t going to happen.
Not until we knew Joey was coming to be with Raya and no one was going to change that.