Chapter 59
Layla
The next few weeks fly by, and I do my best to enjoy every moment I can with Seth and Jasmine. We talk to his dad every day, and each time, he promises he will come visit soon. I visit Gaga every day too, and Seth comes with me most days. She’s not improving, and although her PT was going well, that’s come to a halt. She’s no longer capable of taking orders, and a few times, she became combative with the physical therapist. The last few times I was there, she didn’t speak to me at all. She stared straight ahead the entire time and didn’t even bother to look at the television. Seth came to pick me up and brought Jasmine. That was the only time Gaga cracked a smile. Jasmine sat on the bed with her while she watched a cartoon.
The Mischiefs have started training camp, so Seth isn’t at home all day anymore. He’s busy, and when he’s not at camp, he’s playing with Chastain and his other teammates. If he’s not doing that, he’s working out, but he makes sure to be done by the time I get home from work.
He says the evenings are for the family. He will cook most nights, and when he’s done, we’ll clean up together before I bathe Jasmine. I find that I love the nighttime routine I have with Jasmine. It’s my time alone with her, and she looks forward to story time each night.
Despite his father and my grandmother, life has been great. He tells me he loves me every day before I leave for work and every night. If he calls me during the day, we’ll say it before ending the call. We make love each night, and afterward, I fall asleep in his arms.
“Mama!” Jasmine says, taking me out of my thoughts. She jumps on the bed before she runs away from me. She does this every morning when I’m getting her dressed. I wait, and she runs back to me. I open my arms and she comes in. “Kiss,” she says, and I kiss her forehead.
“Let’s get you dressed. Thank goodness I do this now and not your daddy. He must be colorblind,” I say, and Jasmine laughs as if she understands me.
“Funny,” Seth says. He comes into the bedroom holding a pink tutu. “Put that on her,” he says, and I snatch it from him. Jasmine loves her tutus, so I don’t complain. “I probably won’t be home until four,” he says. “After training camp, the owner invited us to his house for some sort of team-building exercise.” He makes a face. “I’m already sick of that guy.”
That guy is Ryder Valen, the owner’s grandson. Mr. Valen has retired, and Ryder is now the official face of the team.
“Okay. I’m meeting Jeannie and Vickie at the park since it’s a warm day. Jeannie’s bringing the babies, and Vickie is bringing Johnny.”
“Ice cream,” Jasmine yells.
“And we’ll get ice cream,” I concede.
After getting Jasmine dressed, we have breakfast and Seth walks us outside where we’re joined by Colt Chastain.
“Vickie said she’ll meet you at the park. Johnny dumped an entire cup of milk on his head, and she’s cleaning him up,” Colt says.
After a good laugh, my husband gives me a kiss that’s far too indecent for a Saturday morning before he slaps my ass and walks away. The slap is hard, and it jolts me, but I bite my bottom lip at the sensation that travels through my entire body.
I push the stroller to the end of the street and wait for the light to change. It’s unseasonably warm for the second week of October, and the streets are packed with people enjoying the last days of warmth.
An ambulance and a fire truck speed down the street, drowning us in noise. Several police cars follow, and regular traffic comes to a stop. The light changes, but due to the chaos, we’re not able to cross the street yet. I move the stroller further away from the curb.
More firetrucks come by, and due to the noise and the throng of people who are stopped at the intersection, I don’t notice the woman walking to us until she gets close and bumps into me. She bumps into me so hard I almost fall over. My hands let go of the stroller, but I manage to catch my balance.
“Hey!” I yell when I see her reaching for the stroller. No one hears me because of the noise, but I rush over, push her away and grab the handle. That’s when I see her face, and although I’m certain I’ve never seen her before today, she looks familiar. “Get away from my daughter,” I hiss while I look and try to place her.
I know I’ve never seen her before. I’m good with names and faces.
“Your what?” she says, outraged by my words.
“Mydaughter,” I say, enunciating the word.
“That’s not your daughter. She didn’t come out of your womb.” I eye her again and wonder if she’s a deranged Sethhead, but she’s too old to be a fanatic. This woman looks old enough to be Seth’s mother, and Sethheads are barely older than thirty.
“Back off,” is all I say, but she reaches for the stroller again.
“Help!” the woman yells. “She’s trying to kidnap my granddaughter! Somebody help me!” Stunned by this level of crazy, I put the brakes on the stroller, turn to the woman and push her as hard as I can. She falls on her ass, as I grab the handles of the stroller, release the brakes, and speed walk across the street.
“Why didn’t you call me?” Seth practically yells a few hours later when I tell him what happened.
“I called you,” I say as calmly as possible. “Your phone was off, and by that time, I was away from her. When I told Jeannie, she had her bodyguard make a call.” I rub my temples, but the events from earlier still have me on edge.
We didn’t stay at the park long. Once Vickie joined us, we left and went to Jeannie’s townhouse.
“I’m going to get a restraining order on her,” Seth says under his breath. He puts his hands on my shoulders and gently rubs. Jasmine is in the corner of the house playing with her dolls without a care in the world.
She got to spend time with her best friend, so all is right in her world. She has no idea that her deranged grandmother tried to take her stroller and go off to God knows where.
“And if she gets close to you ever again, I’m going to wrap my hand around her neck and squeeze until it snaps. And then—”
“Stop,” I say and put a hand on his chest. “You’re not going to get arrested and lose your job over her. Besides, I can fight,” I toss in. He eyes me up and down in disbelief.
“Really?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“And how many fights have you ever been in before?”
“Well, none, but June Bug has been in a bunch, and I’ve seen some. I’d know what to do.” He rolls his eyes, huffs, and looks at the ceiling. Then to my shock, he starts to laugh. He laughs hard as he walks away and drops himself on the couch.
“You say the most ridiculous things. You probably fight as well as you play basketball.” He stands abruptly and faces me. I put my hands on my hips at his dismissal but all that does is make him laugh more. “Come on. Fight me.” He puts two fists up and starts to sway like a boxer.
I attempt to kick him, but he grabs my leg and holds it. He lifts me off my feet and tosses me on the couch. “You weigh negative five pounds,” he says. “You can’t fight a fly. I bet Jasmine could beat you up.”
“Whatever,” is all I say.
He lies on top of me and presses himself into me. He plants a soft kiss on my lips. “And if she so much as puts a scratch on you, I’m going to kill her and bury her under a house John Wayne Gacy style. I’m serious, but thanks for the laugh. You’re going to get a bodyguard and a driver like Coach suggests.”
I don’t argue. I’m still shaken up by today’s events. Besides, Jeannie has a bodyguard and driver, and she never complains about either. He grabs his phone to make a call but it starts to ring.
“Oh, shit. It’s Brandi.”
“Who the fuck is Brandi?” I ask as I reach for his phone.
“She’s Jasmine’s biological aunt. She’s the one who told me to keep her away from their mother,” he says. “Are you going to fight her too?”
“No. I’d fight you. Pick up,” I order, but when he hesitates, I hit accept. He looks into my eyes, stunned by my actions. I gesture to the phone and mouth ‘talk.’
“Hello,” he says.
“Seth, it’s Brandi.” She talks fast. “My mother is in the city,” she says. “Be careful. She’s been ranting about how she should be the one raising Jasmine. My dad told me she took off to Manhattan, so beware. She’s unwell.”
“She tried to take Jasmine,” I say, taking the phone from Seth. “I’m Layla. I’m Seth’s wife.” He puts his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m Brandi,” she says. “I’m on my way to the city to try and find her.”
“Why didn’t your father do something?” I ask. I’d like to think that if this was my mother, my father, even now, would do everything in his power to not only stop her but help her.
“All he does is pray,” she says. “He’s no help at all.”
“What does she want?” I ask.
“She thinks Jasmine is her chance to fix everything she did wrong with Charlotte.”
“But Jasmine is my daughter,” Seth says. “Mine and Layla’s,” he adds.
“That’s another thing. She says there’s no way another woman is going to raise Jasmine. She says if anyone is going to raise her, it’s going to be her. By any means necessary. Since she found out you got married, she’s gotten worse.”
“Oh really?” Seth says. “I’d like to see her try. I’ll have her ass arrested so fast and that will only be after she gets the beat down of the century from my wife.” He smirks at me and mouths, ‘You can’t fight.’
“I really hope it doesn’t come to that,” Brandi says.
“Can we meet up when you get here?” I ask. “Please.”
“Sure,” she says. Then the phone goes silent until she whispers, “Can I see Jasmine?”
“I’d really like to meet up with you first,” I say, not committing to letting her anywhere near my daughter. She agrees, and we end the call after she promises to make contact when she gets here.
“The first thing we’re going to do tomorrow is file the adoption paperwork,” Seth says. “I don’t know why I didn’t do it the day after we got married, but Chastain set me straight about that today. Then I”m going to talk to my lawyer and set up a will so you get everything. You have to promise to take care of my dad if anything ever happens to me. You’ll be stuck with him,” he says. He stares me down, and I know despite his frustration with his father, he cares deeply for him. “That’s not negotiable.”
“You don’t have to ask, and nothing’s going to happen to you, so find your balls and man up,” I tease. “You promised to take care of me.”
“Yeah,” he says. He pulls me to him and grinds on me. “I’ll take care of you real good. I’ll give you this dick. Where do you want it? Pussy, mouth, or ass.” I pretend to be outraged and shove at his chest, but he doesn’t budge. I’ll never tell him this, but I love how strong he is. I love how he feels when he holds me. I love how he lifts me like I’m weightless. I love everything about him.
“We’re supposed to be figuring out how to deal with that lunatic, not you rubbing against me. Which feels really good right about now.” He bends down and captures my mouth in a hot kiss. We kiss so deep and for so long that I forget about the danger and the tension from earlier today. We kiss until I feel little hands on my legs.
“Mama,” Jasmine says. I break the kiss and look down at her. She raises her arms to Seth and says, “Nom nom.” Seth picks her up and plants kisses on her cheek.
“I can’t believe we have to feed you again,” he teases. He tickles her belly and she giggles.
“Let me order something,” I say since we haven’t talked about dinner or made any plans to cook.
“Let’s go out. It’s a beautiful night,” he suggests, but the idea of that woman being out there waiting for us gives me pause.
“Let’s eat here,” I suggest. “I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder.”
“Okay.” He puts Jasmine down. She runs back to her toys, and I follow Seth into the kitchen. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to use your hardcore female wrestler moves?” He laughs at me as he scrolls through his phone.
I roll my eyes at him and throw a few punches in his direction.
He puts the phone down and takes both my wrists in one of his huge hands. Then he lifts me off my feet like he does Jasmine sometimes. “I should toss you across the room like a rag doll,” he threatens.
“The only reason I’m not kicking your ass right now is because I’m hungry. After I eat, watch out.” He scoffs and kisses me again. “I love you,” I say, so grateful to him for seeing something in me and for believing in our family before I could.
“Yeah, I know. You moan it each time I’m inside of you. You’re obsessed with me. Not that I blame you. I’m pretty fantastic.”