CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER SIX
When Saylor stepped off of the jet there were dozens of people waiting for her, smiling, clapping, and happy to see her. Layla, Marnie, and Willa forced her to take seat in the ATV while the others grabbed her bags.
“I can walk,” she said smiling at them.
“We know but until we can do a complete work-up on you, you’re going to use the ATVs. Carrying twins is no joke, Saylor. They usually come early and you’re damn close to your delivery date,” said Marnie.
“I’m about five weeks away,” she said looking at them.
“Honey, did you OB/GYN not explain all of his to you? Twins don’t go full term, or if they do it’s rare. Plus, Redhawk babies are generally big. I’m going to guess that these two are already six or seven pounds.”
“My doctor was an elderly man who was planning to retire. He hardly said anything to me and I got the impression the nurse didn’t like me. They worked at the same hospital that I did, which was convenient for me.”
“Well, he might have been a doctor but in our experience it doesn’t always mean that he’s a good one. We’ll get the records from the hospital and compare to what we find.”
“Do you think there’s something wrong?” she asked nervously.
“No. No, there’s no reason to believe anything is wrong,” said Marnie. “We just like to take precautions.”
“If you get my records are they going to ask where you’re located?
” They stared at her with confusion. “My family, my parents are looking for me, trying to make me go back to the compound in Nebraska. If they know I’m in Louisiana they may come here.
God, everyone will know. The hospital, my landlord, all of them! ”
“Calm down,” said Layla. “Trust me, the boys will make sure that no one knows where we are, or where you are. You’re going to be just fine.”
After an examination, sonogram, bloodwork, and a serious disappointment in the medical care she’d received in Indianapolis, the team had Saylor on the right track and waiting to get a bit closer to her due date before the twins would be delivered.
“So, she’s okay? The babies are okay?” asked Remington.
“They’re perfect,” smiled Marnie. “Do you want to know the sexes?”
“We do,” said Saylor. “I was waiting, hoping that we could hear this together.”
“I’m more than ready,” grinned Remington, holding tightly to Saylor’s hand.
“I knew you would be,” laughed Marnie. “You have two healthy, perfect boys.”
“Boys,” whispered Saylor.
“Sons,” smiled Remington. “We’re having sons. Just like my great-grandparents and grandparents, twin sons.”
“Twin boys,” repeated Saylor. “Oh, Remington, are you sure you’re okay with this? I mean, it means two of everything. Two beds, two times the clothing, two times the chaos…”
“Two times the love, two times the adventure,” he laughed. Saylor smiled at him and nodded her head. It was one of the few times she’d heard him laugh.
“First things first,” said Nell. “The two of you need to be married.”
“Absolutely,” said Remington. The others all stared at him, giving him that knowing look. His own father stood in the doorway grinning at him. He held up his left hand, pointing to his ring finger.
“Oh. Oh, right.” Remington reached into his pocket pulling out the blue velvet box. He opened it, kneeling in front of Saylor. “Saylor, I should have done this before I left. I love you. I love you more than anything in the world. Please, please marry me even though I’m a dumb ass.”
Saylor laughed and cried and then laughed some more. The babies seemed to be celebrating, kicking and rolling around with the laughter.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” After the hugging and crying ceased, Remington was smart enough to look at her and ask another very important question.
“Honey, do you want your parents here?” he asked.
“No,” she said adamantly. “Absolutely not. I know they’d cause trouble. I’ll call them and tell them I’m getting married but I will not let them know where or when.”
“Okay, it’s up to you but we’d support you no matter what,” said Nell.
“Uncle Sor, can you walk me down the aisle?”
“I’d be honored,” he said smiling at her. “Let’s call your folks first and get this over with.”
They wanted to make sure that the call was scrambled and unable to be tracked so they made it from the comms room. Hiro dialed the number and waited for someone to answer. It took nine rings before they picked up.
“Hello?”
“D-dad? Dad, it’s Saylor.”
“Where are you? You lied. I knew you were lying to us. Where are you? We’ll come and get you.”
“Dad, you’re not going to come and get me. I’m not coming back there. I’m getting married today to a wonderful man that I love very much and we’re expecting a child.” She looked at Remington, and he nodded, understand why she wouldn’t mention twins to them.
“You’re a whore,” he said bluntly.
“You will do well to watch your tongue about my wife,” said Remington.
“She’s not your wife yet,” said George Carver.
“She is my wife in every way that matters but legally, she will be my wife by the end of the day. If you can’t speak to her respectfully, you won’t speak to her at all.”
There was silence on the other end of the call and then whispering in the background.
“Our agreement was that you would return here and marry one of the Yeager boys and that’s what you’ll do.”
“I’m afraid I never agreed to that, Dad. I’m not sure how you believe this is normal but father’s don’t force their children to marry. They offer love and support and help them to live their dreams, which is what I’m doing.”
“I told your mother that allowing you to go to college was wrong. I should have made you marry the Yeager boy before you left. Now they’re angry and you’re nothing but a whore.”
“I warned you once,” said Remington, “you will not speak to my wife like that again. She’s done what she wanted to do, now listen to me.
If you so much as attempt to call, text or find her, I will find you and you will not like the outcome.
And you can tell your Yeager boys, they’ll have to look for a wife somewhere else. This one is taken.”
Remington hung up the phone and looked at Saylor’s face, pale and hurt.
“It’s done, honey. They know and you’re free.” She gave a pained smiled and shook her head.
“I don’t think you understand, Remington. I won’t ever be free from them.”