Chapter Thirty-One
Iran my hands along the table. “So they are trying to use the kudzu again. Morgan is going to try to slip some into a drink for my mother that I hand her, so she doesn’t question it.
And Brandon is going to try again, now that I work at the pack house.
They want me to mate him and get pregnant because they know if I have a pup, then everything would be given to the baby. ”
“And Brandon and Vince would have access to your money,” Wendy finished, and I pointed to her.
“Exactly.” I looked at my friends. “Then they said they would kill me. Shannon asked if Vince would be able to kill me, because I was so strong and Morgan, the dumbass that he was, laughed. He said that Vince killed my dad. He could kill me.”
Wendy waved her hands. “Wait.” We both turned to her. “Your dad’s pack was supposedly taken out by rogues.”
I smiled. “Exactly.”
Toya stared down at the tabletop for a minute before she looked up. “So you are saying that Vince is somehow behind the rogue attacks?” I nodded.
“I mean, I already thought that he was, but this is the first time we have confirmation.” I knocked on the table. “And-”
“Amy you’re home.” Little feet flew down the stairs and we all turned.
“Hey sweet pea.” I opened my arms, conversation forgotten. “How’s your day been?”
Carly dove into my arms and crawled into my lap. “It’s been okay. Is dinner ready?”
I laughed. “Not yet. We just got the groceries.”
Toya was staring at Carly, and she smiled. “What are you thinking, Auntie Toya?”
Toya jolted back, surprised at being caught by a six-year-old. “Nothing, pup, just surprised.”
“Why? About what?” She poked.
Toya debated before she answered. “I’m just surprised that you are so comfortable with us already.”
Carly’s face fell, but she nodded. “Does it make you feel bad?” She looked up, surprising all of us.
“No.” Toya shook her head and came over and kissed her head. “Nothing you will do will make me feel bad.” She knelt next to my chair. “I’m just worried about you. Do we make you feel uncomfortable?”
Carly thought about it for a while before she nodded her head.
“I know we just met…” She leveled Toya and Wendy with a look.
“But I have seen you in my dreams for the last few years. I have seen you alone, with Amy, or others. I have seen your best times, your worst times, and all the stuff in between.” She looked down at her tiny fingers.
“I’ve lived this before. I miss my daddy, but… ” She looked at me and I nodded.
“When you spend years getting ready for the pain, it doesn’t make it better, but it makes it almost easier.
” I looked at Toya. “If I had to relive my first life, knowing full well what was going to happen, it wouldn’t lessen the pain, but it would be easier to see it through.
” Toya considered my words and then nodded. “But I like my idea better. Revenge.”
Wendy stood. “I’ll go get dinner ready.” But she came over to Carly. “I’m happy that you are so comfortable with us.” Carly smiled and watched her walk into the kitchen.
Toya stood and kissed her. “I am too. I just don’t want you to feel you have to be. You are allowed to mourn the way you need it.” She turned. “I’ll help Wendy cook. Goddess knows the chick needs help with spice.” Then she turned and left.
Carly wiggled down and she was about to leave when I called after her. “Before you go, I got you something.” I pulled out the bag that I kept hidden and handed it to her.
She looked at me with wide eyes and crouched over the bag. “What’s this?”
“A present. Open it.” She squealed and pulled the bear out of the bag. She held it out and looked him over. “He’s wearing a flannel, like daddy.” I nodded. She pulled him to her chest. “I love him.” She squeezed the bear tightly.
“Hey baby girl.” Carl’s voice crackled from the bear. “I love you so, so much. I know I’m not there where you can see, but I am always with you.” Her eyes snapped to mine, and she squeezed the bear again. “Hey, baby girl.”
“Daddy…” She buried her head into the bear. Toya and Wendy both came out of the kitchen and watched Carly hug the bear. “Is that really daddy? His voice?” She looked up at me with eyes full of tears.
I crouched down next to her. “Do you think I would do all this just to lie and say it was his voice?” I shook my head and I rubbed her cheek. “I called for him to help, and he showed up. We weren’t sure it was going to work, but whether it was magic, or the Goddess, we got his voice.”
She squeezed the bear again and closed her eyes when Carl’s voice rang out. “Hey, baby girl.”
I sat on the porch with a glass of wine, watching the sunset over the water. The sky was a dark blue with a dusky pink over by the fading sun. The door opened, and Wendy and Toya settled next to me. “Carly?” Toya took a deep drink from her wineglass.
“In bed. I put her to sleep.” I sighed and wiped my face.
“Back in her makeshift canopy bed?” Wendy took a smaller sip from hers.
“Yeah.” I sighed. “My mother went crazy with the blankets.” Wendy and Toya laughed.
“She used to do the same in my room when I missed my dad. She sent for blankets and made this blanket fort over my bed.” I closed my eyes and I could still smell it.
“It made me feel safe, and like I was back with my dad.”
“It helped that much?” Toya swirled her wine and looked over at me.
I nodded. “The tents layer trap the scent inside. You are surrounded by it.”
“And she has her bear.” Wendy sniffled.
“Are you crying?” Toya turned to her, and she nodded. “Why?”
She laughed. “Is it bad to say that I’m jealous?”
We both turned to face her, and she stood, pacing away from us.
“My dad, I lost him when I was young, and my Goddess, do I still miss him? But I didn’t have his scent, or a teddy bear with his voice.
And I know it’s stupid to be jealous of a little girl who had to watch her father die.
But I am.” She turned to us with tears on her face. “I wish I could hear his voice again.”
“Wendy.” We both stood and hugged her. “It’s okay to feel that way.” Toya pulled back. “It’s okay to miss your dad.”
She nodded, but her sobs broke a little part of me. So I tried something I had never tried before. I tried to call Wendy’s father to this side of the veil. I wasn’t going to say anything, because I honestly didn’t think it would work. I didn’t even know his name.
“Wendy…” I wrapped my arms around her. “It’s okay.”
“Lady bug?” I felt Wendy freeze. Toya and I looked up to find a man with Wendy’s eyes and crazy hair standing at the other end of the porch. “Is that you?” His voice was hopeful, and I felt my friend tremble. She slowly turned and faced the man.
“Daddy? Is that really you?” Her words were a whisper, but I could hear the hope in her words.
He looked around, and then back at her. “I don’t know how I’m here. But yeah, it’s me.”
Wendy sprinted from us to him in a second, and I winced as she tumbled through him. “Wendy.” I called after her as she hit the wall. “It’s just his spirit. I can’t bring someone back, not really.”
“But is it my dad?” She looked between me and him.
I raised my shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t honestly know.
” She looked at me, and I could see pain in her eyes.
“I wish I could tell you for certain, but I’ve never met the man.
I can tell you I called for your father specifically, and this is the man that showed up.
I can also tell you that if I have called someone forward, they show up.
But you will have to tell us if he is your dad. ”
Wendy looked at the man, and leaned in closer, staring deeply into his eyes.
The more they stood next to each other, the more I could see the similarities.
Toya nodded to the door and I agreed. We turned and grabbed our glasses of wine and then turned back when Wendy whispered.
“Tell me something only you would know.”
He leaned in and whispered. “You have a birthmark on your butt cheek that looks like a ladybug, hence your nickname.”
“Daddy!” she cried, but Toya and I were looking at each other.
I snorted and mouthed the words lady bug, and then Toya lost it. She laughed, and we both looked towards our friend, only to find her dad smiling and Wendy beet red. “Lady bug?” Toya howled.
“Shut up!” Wendy cried.
We both laughed. But I grabbed Toya. “You guys talk. I don’t know how long this will last and I don’t want you two to waste your time together.” I pulled Toya towards the door, and Wendy mouthed the words, Thank you to me. I winked and closed the door.
“That was a really nice thing for you to do.” Toya smiled as she sank to the sofa.
I shrugged. “I didn’t know if it would even work, but I am thrilled it did.” I shook my head and chuckled softly. I took another deep swig from my drink.
Toya followed suit. And then she looked towards the kitchen. “Soooo.” I looked at her and lifted my brow. “We both agree we are going to call her ladybug from now on, right?”
“You bet your ass we are.” We both threw back our heads and started laughing.