Page 52 of Love From the Ashes

Jillian stood there with her mouth gaping open as Reid stormed from the patio and headed toward the covered walkway.

I remained behind the tree, unable to move and overcome with emotion. I was pissed and disgusted by Jillian’s offer. But I was relieved and comforted by Reid’s response. He was loyal, trustworthy, and far different from any other man I’d known. Most men visiting my mother, paying her to either spread her legs or get down on her knees, had been married, discarding their wives like a piece of trash. Immersed in my thoughts, I jumped when Jillian came around the tree.

She let out a small shriek. Then she glared at me. “You bitch. How dare you eavesdrop. Reid may have turned me down for now, but you wait and see. I’ll have him soon enough, so don’t mess with me. You’re a little nothing and can’t compete.”

My arm was swinging before I could stop and think, my action an automatic response to her baiting and my anger. My older brother had inadvertently taught me to fight when I’d had to defend myself repeatedly against him. And the leering men who’d come to see my mother, well, they were another story. I was a fighter, more than able to defend myself when cornered. I just chose not to go there most of the time.

Hearing a moan, I looked down at the ground. Jillian was waking up. I’d perfectly placed my right hook to the side of her head, and the momentum of my punch was so great that I’d knocked her out. Figuring this was the last place I wanted anyone to see me, I backed away and then ran. My heart felt like it was in my throat as I maneuvered in a wide arc around the building to make it look like I was returning to the reception from the hotel.

I walked through the main door to the barn and looked for Reid, spotting him scanning the crowd. He saw me and smiled, looking relieved. He headed toward me.

“Where were you? I’ve been looking for you.”

“I didn’t see you outside, so I was walking around,” I said.

“They’re getting ready to cut the cake, so we should go back to our table and watch.” Reid took my arm and guided me through the crowd of guests mingling in the hall.

We had just settled in our chairs when Jillian stumbled through the side entrance to the patio. Several people near her winced at her swollen face, and four bridesmaids, including Kate, rushed to her side. Two of them walked her to the restroom while Kate returned to our table.

“My goodness, what happened to her?” Maddie said, turning her attention to Kate.

“Jillian said she tripped on the patio and hit her head. I hope she’s all right. Her face is red and swollen, and it looks like she’ll have a black eye.” Kate sounded upset, her eyes darting toward the ladies’ restroom.

Reid turned his attention to the two groomsmen who’d come up behind us, asking him if he knew what had happened.

“That’s horrible. Isn’t it, Ginny?” Maddie said, a touch of amusement in her tone. Her eyes were on my hand as I took a drink from my water glass.

Glancing at the object of her interest, I sucked in my breath. My knuckles had swelled, and one of them was bleeding. I set my glass down and hid my hand underneath the overhanging tablecloth. Then I looked across the table at Maddie and Ginny. They were both eyeing me strangely while trying to hide a smile, Ginny’s behind her napkin, and Maddie’s behind the glass of water she’d picked up from the table.

“What’s all the commotion about?” Harold said, raising one of his bushy white eyebrows at Maddie as he returned from across the hall and settled in his chair.

“Oh, nothing. It seems Jillian had an unfortunate mishap on the patio,” Maddie said, casting a glance at Ginny.

I diverted my gaze to the napkin lying across my lap, waiting for one of them to finger me. But they both stayed silent, although Maddie’s low chuckle carried across the table.

Reid and the two groomsmen switched topics and talked about a mutual friend of theirs.

I sat there feeling smugly pleased, knowing Jillian would no longer be a problem since she’d be a fool to screw with me again. And I couldn’t help a self-satisfied smile as I glanced across the table at the two ladies and nodded. The three of us well aware of what had happened to Jillian.

CHAPTER 19

The Reveal

Iwalked upthe stairs with a large shopping bag in my hand. I’d looked for Reid downstairs, but he was nowhere around, so he had to be up here. “Reid, I’m home. Are you here?” I called out. “We need to leave for my appointment soon.”

Reid stepped into the hallway from the spare bedroom. He grinned when he spotted the bag in my hand.

“Yes, your mother went overboard buying more stuff for the baby. I told her to stop, especially since I’m not due for another four months, and she’s already spent enough money on all the baby furniture we have stored downstairs. I love the pair of shoes she bought, though. You have to see them.” I set the bag on the floor and retrieved the small box holding the shoes. “Look, they’re baby UGGs with a Velcro strap. Aren’t they adorable?”

“They’re cute, but damn, they’re so tiny.”

“Babies are tiny, silly. So, what are you doing in the spare bedroom? The look on your face tells me you’re up to something.”

“It’s a surprise. Come in here, and I’ll show you.”

I followed Reid into the bedroom and came to an abrupt halt. I scanned the empty room. “Where is all the furniture?”

“That’s my surprise. I had the furniture picked up while you were shopping with my mother. You had mentioned wanting to convert the bedroom into a nursery for the baby, so I thought I’d get it done. I’ve got a designer lined up, and she’ll be here tomorrow. We could paint and decorate the room using a princess theme if the baby’s a girl and a jungle theme if it’s a boy. The contractor can be here Monday morning, and it should only take a week to complete the project as long as we can confirm what we want when we meet with the designer. What do you think?”

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