Chapter 16 #2
“Do you think that buying their mother a gift that requires a trailer and a truck-bed full of equipment is the way to do that?”
“I made that for Taya because I know she’s always wanted one but wasn’t sure how to get started.”
“Have you and Donner figured out who hit us?” Samara asked, abruptly changing the subject.
“We thought it was the neighborhood psycho, but now we’re not so sure.”
“Would he go after Taya just because of the dog?”
“There’s no way to guess what someone like that will do, babe. If he’s willing to torture a defenseless dog, imagine what he’d do to someone who pissed him off.”
“I thought he was just a harmless pervert, but . . .”
“A peeping Tom is not a harmless pervert, Samara. That’s the first stage of becoming a psycho rapist killer.”
“You’re right. I’ve been listening to true crime podcasts while I work out and learned that the majority of serial rapists started out doing stuff like that before they escalated into stealing underwear and shit. Next thing you know, they’re breaking into homes, taking hostages, and ruining lives.”
“Sounds like riveting entertainment, Samara,” I said sarcastically. “Why don’t you try meditation or some shit? I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but a self-help book would be better for you than filling your mind with that trash.”
“Have you ever met anyone who has committed crimes like that?”
“A serial rapist? If I have, we didn’t chat for long.”
“I’d think they would be everywhere in prison.”
“There were plenty of horrible men in prison with me, babe, but I didn’t associate with fuckers like that. There’s an unspoken code where everyone really hammers on rapists, and monsters that went after kids are especially hated.”
“Do they give them shit about it?”
“They’re treated worse than any other criminal in there. That makes sense to me since assholes who do terrible things to children aren’t fit to breathe the same air as the rest of us.”
“I agree.”
“Good. Now I don’t have to kill you.”
Samara burst out laughing before she said, “You’d never hurt me, Chevy. You love me too much.”
“You’re right, baby girl. I’ve loved you since the minute I found out you were coming into the world.”
“I love you too.” Samara was smiling mysteriously when she said, “Taya’s going to fall in love with you, Chevy. I think she already has and just may not know it yet.”
“It’s a little early for that, kiddo.”
“Rather too much too soon than too little too late.”
“Those are wise words for someone so young,” I mused.
“My dad taught me that, and it makes even more sense now that he’s not here anymore. I’m happy that I told him and Mom I loved them every chance I got since I can’t do it now.”
I realized then why Samara had been a little quieter than normal today and said, “I know you miss them every day and especially around the holidays.”
“I do, but you know what’s going to make this holiday better?”
“My quick wit, and Donner’s sparkling personality?”
“That plus having everyone else I love together under one roof.”
“I think I’m going to enjoy it, too, if those boys of Taya’s let me live long enough.”
“They’re not boys, Chevy. They’re almost your age!”
“Don’t point that out in front of them or even Taya for that matter. She’s struggled with our age gap, and I’m afraid if someone brings it up, we might have to revisit it.”
“My lips are sealed, but I’m sure her sons might have something to say about it.”
“Well, I’ll give them enough rope to hang themselves and see how Taya handles it, but I’m not going to let them ruin her holiday.”
“I don’t think they will.”
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
◆◆◆
“I’m not going to let you fall,” I assured Taya as I held her arm and walked her across the porch toward the driveway. “Keep your eyes closed, okay?”
Taya squealed when I picked her up bridal-style and walked down the steps.
I waited to put her down until we were about six feet away from the trailer that held her gift.
As I set her on her feet, I saw that her eyes were tightly closed, her face scrunched up in a way that was so cute I couldn’t resist giving her a kiss.
“Now, before you open your eyes, I have to tell you that if you don’t like it, you don’t have to keep it. Even if you don’t like the idea of it, you can tell me, okay?”
“I’m sure I’ll love whatever it is, Chevy.”
“Promise me that you’ll tell me if you don’t.”
“I promise.”
I put my hands on her shoulders and turned her to face the trailer before I stepped in front of her to block her view and said, “Open your eyes.”
“Oh, I love it!”
“You haven’t even seen it yet!”
“I thought you were my gift, which is a month early, by the way.”
“It’s not a Christmas gift, really, just something to say thanks for being you and I want to see you happy.”
“That makes it even sweeter, especially since that means I’ll get another present next month,” Taya teased. “Can I see it?”
“Here goes nothing,” I muttered as I moved aside and kept my eyes on her face.
Her squeal was so loud that I was sure I heard glass cracking, and when she started jumping up and down with excitement, I smiled wider than I could ever remember smiling in my life.
“Oh my God, it’s my house!” She squealed again and grabbed my hands before she asked, “You got me a chicken coop that looks just like my house?”
“You like it?”
“I love it! Where did you . . .? How did you . . .? Oh, Chevy!” Taya wailed as she threw her arms around my neck and jumped into my arms. “I love it!”
“Hell, if this is the reaction I get, I’ll build a different house for every farm animal I can think of.”
Taya held on with her legs and leaned back, knowing that my hands on her ass would keep her from falling, before she asked, “You built that?”
I nodded, and Taya squealed again, but this time, she did it while she was squeezing my neck so tight that I was sure my head would pop off right after my eardrum ruptured.
“I told you she’d love it,” Samara said as Taya stared at the coop. When I realized we now had an audience, I slowly let her slide down until she was standing on the ground.
She stared up at me with tears in her eyes and said, “This is the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received, Chevy. The absolute best.”
A deep voice I didn’t recognize said, “You finally got your chicken coop,” from somewhere behind me.
I looked over my shoulder and saw one of her sons with his arm around Jade and his son on his hip. The other son had his arm draped over Brinn’s shoulders as they smiled at their mother’s reaction.
Taya was too enamored to make introductions, so Brinn said, “Chewie, these are my brothers, Brandt and Blaine. You already know Jade and Ollie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this happy before,” Blaine said as he watched his mother let me go so she could climb up onto the trailer. “I wonder where we can get some chickens on Thanksgiving.”
“I thought she could do some Black Friday shopping online tomorrow and pick out the kinds she wants,” I said as I watched Jodie, Brinn, and Samara climb up onto the trailer.
I turned my attention to Ollie when he started screaming, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” as he squirmed to get out of his father’s arms.
“I didn’t even think about it, but he’s going to want to use this as his playhouse, isn’t he?”
“He probably will until the first time he gets pecked by a pissed-off chicken,” Donner said as Blaine walked down the steps to let his son inspect the coop.
“That’ll change his mind,” I agreed.
Once Blaine let Ollie go, he stopped in front of me and stuck out his hand to shake mine before he asked, “She didn’t ask you to make this for her?”
“She never actually told me that she wanted one, but she mentioned it to our friend Juni who passed the information along to me.”
“Our dad thought it was a dumb idea for her to get chickens and said he wouldn’t eat eggs that didn’t come from the store,” Brandt said as he shook my hand. “I don’t ever think I’ve seen our mom this happy before.”
“I’m still not sure the thing you’ve got going with our mom is a good idea, but this makes me feel a little bit better about the situation.”
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I just nodded and said, “That’s good.”
Brandt laughed before he said, “You’ve only been dating a month, and you’ve already knocked it out of the park in the gift-giving department.”
“You’re gonna make us look bad,” Blaine agreed.
“Wait until you see her Christmas gift.”
“You think you can top this?” Blaine asked.
I chuckled before I said, “I know I can.”