Chapter 24
Carrington Office
Searcy, Arkansas
"Okay, I have to ask. How could you be pregnant and not know it?
Isn't that obvious after a certain point?
You know. Don't answer that. Let's just move on.
So you are pregnant, engaged, and married all at the same time.
That is a lot for anyone, but especially for a Senator's wife," said Harvey.
"As you headed home, did you have any idea what Bennett had planned for the next day? "
"No, I did not. I wish I was selfless and could say I would have tried to talk him out of it, but it was the right decision at the time."
"So tell me how that all unfolded," said Harvey. "After that day, set up all that has happened since."
"You are right,” replied Taylor. "Here's how it all went down."
Carrington House
Searcy, Arkansas
July 2012
Taylor and Bennett landed in Searcy late that afternoon. Since they kept their small-engine plane in a private hangar, there were no reporters when they landed. They could deplane and load their gear into Bennett's SUV without being seen.
Once in the car, Bennett tried Poppy's number again. He also had Joules trying to locate her, but so far, she had had no luck.
"Still no answer?" asked Taylor. She could tell Bennett was extremely concerned.
Shaking his head, he said, "No, it went straight to voicemail. I stopped leaving those a dozen messages ago. What is it with you women? Why do you never answer the damn phone?"
Giving him a sympathetic smile, she said, "Well, I was trying to run away from my problems."
"I am worried that is exactly what she is trying to do. But it won't work this time. She has run away from me for the last time. I mean it. She will absolutely never run away from me again."
Taylor wasn't sure she even liked Poppy, but she cared about Bennett, so she said, "I understand. You need to go and find her, but we still have to face those reporters first."
"Yes, we do." Taking her hand, he said, "Thank you for doing this for me. I will never forget it."
"You are welcome." Hugging him, Taylor smiled.
"Joules said there will be security waiting to help us through the gates at the house.
It's going to be much worse than it was in Miami.
She says about six news crews are set up outside our house.
She is there waiting for us. Remember not to look at them or react in any way to anything they say. Can you do that?"
"I've got it," replied Taylor.
"Okay, let's go, and remember I am right beside you the whole way."
It only took less than ten minutes from the airport to their driveway.
Just as Joules had predicted, the place was crawling with reporters and camera crews.
It only took a few minutes for them to get inside the gate and safely inside the house.
Security was there as promised. But it was the longest two minutes of Taylor's life.
The moment the black SUV pulled up to the gates of the Carrington estate, reporters rushed forward with microphones in hand and cameras rolling.
"Senator Carrington, is it true?”
“Are you and Mrs. Carrington separated?"
"Are you getting divorced?"
"How do you know Poppy Thompson, and what is the nature of your relationship with her?"
"Are you still on the shortlist for a possible cabinet position?”
Questions flew at the car's passengers from every direction.
The lack of response from the couple inside the car did nothing to deter the horde of journalists who continued their verbal assault.
Rapidly firing question after question at the couple in the car, the various new crews jockeyed for the best camera angle.
The two security guards finally forced the crowd back long enough for Bennett to pull through the gates and drive up the winding drive to the house.
Bennett and Taylor did not say a word until they were inside the garage, with the large wooden door closed firmly behind them.
It had only taken a few moments to clear the gates and drive up the drive, but it felt like an eternity.
Turning off the car, Bennett looked over at Taylor and, with his voice full of anguish and shame, said, "I'm sorry for all of it. I never meant for any of this to happen. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you."
Nodding her head in agreement, Taylor, feeling overwhelmed and stunned, looked over at Bennett and answered, "I know. Me either. But what the hell are we going to do now?"
Giving Taylor a shocked look at her use of profanity before burying his face in his hands, he said, "I have no idea." For a man who always had an answer for everything, this time, Bennett had nothing.
Taylor sighed deeply and said, "Me either, but one thing I do know, it will get a lot worse before it gets better.
" She had never felt so violated or attacked in her life.
It seemed like a lifetime ago that she and Bennett had been the darlings of the news.
Now, they were being treated like they were criminals.
As soon as Bennett and Taylor got out of the car, Joules ran into the garage and engulfed Taylor in a huge hug. "Lord, it is good to see you."
While hugging Taylor, Bennett caught Joules's eye and asked, "Any word from Poppy?"
Joules stepped back and nodded her head yes. "But you are not going to like it. Let's go inside, and I will tell you about it."
Once inside and seated at the kitchen counter, Joules said, "Poppy has packed up and gone with Ben to Tennessee."
Bennett slammed his fist on the counter, "Damn it! I was worried she would do something like that. When did she leave, and why didn't you stop her? And why Tennessee?"
"I couldn't. She was already gone by the time I got out there.
They left after the story broke about Taylor being pregnant.
I did what I could. I found them a safe house to hide out in.
My friend from college is a real estate agent.
She has a lot of rental properties. She put them up in one.
I know it is not ideal, but at least you can get to her faster.
Plus, she is staying there and not running to New York. It is a start."
A look of sadness and anger crossed Bennett's face, "A small one.
She could have trusted me. She could have trusted me to fix this.
You don't think…" he hesitated for a moment.
Then, he continued, "Surely she didn't believe that I was the father of Taylor's baby?
I know that was how the news made it look, but surely she realized that was not true.
After all we have been through, how could she think that? "
At this point, Taylor looked from Joules to Bennett and said, "You two have a lot to discuss. I think I will go in and lie down for a while." She then went upstairs to her room. She had felt like she was eavesdropping on something that had nothing to do with her.
Once the door upstairs closed, Joules looked at Bennett and said, "I don't know what Poppy believes, but she is safe. Do what you need to here. You can go after her when that is done.”
Joules pointed to the street where the reporters were still camped out like vultures circling for the kill. “What are you going to do about all of that?”
Bennett gave her a stern look and said, "I have a plan, but you are not going to like it. But, it is the only way. Call a press conference for 9:00 tomorrow morning at my office. Did you make those calls I asked you earlier?"
"Yes, it is all set.”
Bennett gave Joules a weary smile and said, "I am grateful. You have been an amazing friend to both of us. He would have been so proud of you."
There was no need to say who the "he" was. They both knew who Bennett was talking about.
Joules was quiet for a moment and then said, "I hope so. Do you ever wonder if this would have happened if he had lived?"
"Every day."
"Me too." Wiping a tear that was slowly making its way down her cheek, Joules said, "Enough of this. We have too much work to do to be sitting around talking about things we can't change. Let's get busy."
Bennett nodded, and the two of them worked the rest of the afternoon, working out the little details to make sure the news conference the next day went off without a hitch.
For the next several hours, Bennett and Joules strategized and made plans for the next day. By the time Taylor woke up from her nap and came down to fix something for supper, Joules was gone.
Feeling famished, Taylor heated a can of tomato soup and made grilled cheese sandwiches. When it was ready, Bennett joined her for dinner in the kitchen. It was the first time they had sat together at their kitchen table for a meal in over seven months.
It should have felt awkward, but it didn't. They were what they were: two old friends sharing a meal.
They kept the conversation light, sticking to topics like the work she had been doing in Miami and a book she had recently read.
It was as if each one just needed a few moments of normalcy after the craziness of the last few days.
When they were done eating, Bennett said, "Thank you for this. I want you to know that even after everything that has happened, I still care about you."
Patting him on the arm, Taylor wanted to let Bennett know how much she appreciated all he had done for her over the years. "I would have never survived those first few years without you, so thank you for being there for me."
"Yes, you would have. I know that now. I am so sorry for letting you down and not being the man you needed me to be. It just wasn't meant to be."