I follow him outside, to the helicopter waiting for us. He helps me inside, and I put on a large pair of headphones and my seatbelt, before he climbs in beside me.
Trying to keep my nervousness at bay, I glance at my husband. His jaw is hard, like his beautiful eyes, and my stomach flips.
But then he takes my hand, laces our fingers together, and smiles at me.
Maybe going back to the real world won’t be so bad.
*** *** ***
Jackson
My hand is on Bliss’ thigh and her head is resting on my shoulder. She’s been dozing in and out of sleep since Greenville, South Carolina. We’d boarded a private jet, and after take-off and a glass of wine, most likely her first, she’d promptly fallen asleep.
“Are we here?”
“Sleeping Beauty is awake.” I squeeze her leg.
My gaze zeroes in on the ring on her finger. I’m equal parts happy and annoyed to see it. It wasn’t made for her, and she deserves something that was. Then again, seeing the tangible proof of our marriage makes me feel all proprietary. Possessive.
“Do you live here?” she asks.
“Not since I was old enough to move out.”
“Are you dropping me off?” Her voice has become small and shaky. This must be familiar for her, to be taken to a strange place with everything she owns in the world and left on the doorstep like a package.
“Hell no.” I wrap one arm around her. “I wouldn’t leave Cole here, and I can’t stand him.”
“Wow. It must be bad.”
“You have no idea,” I mutter as the driver parks by the front door. I’m in no hurry to get out, so we sit there and wait for either the driver or someone from the house to come open the door.
“Then why are we here?”
“Everett and Kathy want to have dinner with us.” I’m sure there will be pictures sent to someone who cares, to put it out there that we’re one big, happy family.
“What should I call them?”
“What did you call Everett on the tour?”
“Mr. Morgan.”
Shit. Everett doesn’t deserve that kind of respect or subservience from her. “Call them whatever you want.”
“I don’t want to get it wrong and—”
The door opens, and instead of the driver standing there, it’s my dad.
Damn it.
“There’s my pretty daughter-in-law. Come inside,” Everett says, waving at us.
Bliss looks at me, and then back at Everett. I’m no help, because I have no idea what’s going on. One thing I do know—I don’t trust him at all. He’s never nice, unless he wants something.
Everett holds out his hand to Bliss and she takes it, leaving the car. I’m right behind her, taking her hand out of his and pulling her by my side.
My dad gives me a dark look. Now that I recognize.
“Hungry, Bliss?”
“Yes, sir.” She glances up at me. My dad’s gaze slides over her, and I want to punch him in the throat. “What about you, Jackson?”
“I’ve lost my appetite.” I fix my gaze on Everett. “We won’t be staying long.”
“Suit yourself.” He heads inside the house.
After a beat or two, I follow him, Bliss’ hand still firmly in mine. She looks pretty, wearing the same outfit she had on the night we got married, but in this house, it looks cheap and threadbare.
“I don’t have to eat right now,” she whispers. “Don’t stay here on my account.”
“Trust me. We won’t be here a second longer than we have to,” I say, not bothering to lower my voice. Sure I expect Everett to backhand me, but I also take comfort in the fact that he’s never hit me in front of anyone. And Bliss is certainly someone.
Everett keeps walking and it keeps getting brighter as we draw closer to the grand room in the center of the house.
“Surprise!”
Bliss actually screams, and I push her behind me, trying to protect her from… cameras flash and someone’s kissing my cheek, patting me on the back and hugging Bliss.
Well-wishers?
My wife edges closer to me, her body pressed into mine so hard that I can feel her trembling. There has to be a hundred people in the room, smiling at us and holding glasses of champagne. The women are dressed to kill, southern style, and the men are dressed like me, after-work casual.
Shit. Bliss is going to stand out… and not in a good way. My mother breaks from the crowd, diamonds on her ears and hands. Her blond hair is piled on top of her head. She looks healthy and… oh thank God, out of her mind on the latest drug prescribed by her “doctor”.
“Oh my gosh, would you just look at her.” Kathy takes Bliss’ hand from mine and twirls her around. “Isn’t she adorable?”