Another success.
And that day, Sunday, I had my play sorted out. I told him we needed to hit the home wares store and he’d instantly balked. Garden furniture, he could do. Home wares, his reaction to the concept stated clearly were not his thing. I’d had to get creative with incentive for him to go with me, I did, he liked it, I liked it and he went, liking my incentive so much, I talked him into taking the Charger.
And I talked him into the Charger because I’d put something in the trunk.
Then I directed him to make a pit stop at a place I’d previously scoped out in Chantelle on the way to the mall. He knew why the instant we parked on the street outside the shop. I saw his face change when he looked at the sign but I got out of the car before he could say anything. I was standing at the trunk by the time he folded out and his eyes came to me but he didn’t speak.
“Pop the trunk, honey, will you?”
He held my eyes but said not a word.
“Pop the trunk, Ty,” I semi-repeated.
He popped the trunk. I reached in and took out the long, hard-sided cardboard tube in the back that I’d found in a closet in one of the middle floor bedrooms. I slammed the trunk and headed to his side, taking his hand in mine and tugging him to the frame shop. It took a mighty tug but I got him to come unstuck, slam his door and follow me in.
He picked the frame for Tuku’s pen and ink, we left the tube and then we went out to the Charger. We didn’t go to the home wares store but then again, that was a ruse so we didn’t need to. We went straight home so Ty could express his gratitude by fucking me on the couch, fast, rough and brilliant.
I was on a roll and hoping I was succeeding, making Ty’s time with me as good as it could be, something I’d want to do anyway, but something I was determined to do so he’d want to be where I was instead of where he needed to be so vengeance would be his. Krystal advised me not to stick my neck out. I was doing everything in my power to stop Ty from sticking out his. I liked his neck and head where it was. And I was hoping, the more I played this game, the less important his grand plan o’ vengeance would be and Tate could do his work. Or, if Tate couldn’t, Ty would give up and just live his life and for him to do it, I had to demonstrate it was going to be a good one, worth giving up his grand plan o’ vengeance.
And so far so good. He texted but if he wasn’t at work, working out or running, which he did in the mornings of his days off, he was with me or Tate.
And he seemed content, happy even, grinning more often, chuckling a few times and, twice, I’d made him burst out laughing. I was hoping these were indications that his nightmare was fading. I was hoping these were indications that he was healing. I was hoping I was helping him to get to the other side.
So now it was early evening and I was out on the front deck watering as Betty taught me to do. Sometimes, if the day was really hot, I had to water in the mornings and evenings after the heat went off the day. I was also feeding the plants on her schedule. They were looking good, filling out, blooming and I was a stickler for pinching off the deadheads so every bit was healthy.
And I was also studying the funny look on Ty’s face. We’d been together almost a month and some of that time he’d been closed off. I knew he still held his cards close to his chest. He didn’t let his thoughts or feelings show often but he did it and I was becoming attuned to his moods.
But that look was a new one I did not get.
Until I heard shrieked, “Alexa Anne Berry! Where you at, girl?”
My heart skittered to a halt, my mouth dropped open then I closed it only to open it again in order to whisper to Ty, “Holy fuck. That’s Ella.”
“Movin’ truck just pulled in the drive, mama,” he told me.
“Aaaaaahhhlehhhhhxsaaaaaah!”
That wasn’t Ella.
That was Bessie.
My heart started hammering, I smiled bright and dazzling at Ty, dropped the hose where I stood and raced by him, around the side of the house and down the walkway. I made it to the railing to see a short, white moving truck in the driveway, Ella, Bessie and Honey standing outside and to the side of it looking up at the deck off the kitchen.
“Ohmigod!” I screeched, “What are you doing here?”
Three heads swiveled to me and three faces split into huge smiles.
“Ahhhyeeeee!” Bessie squealed then disappeared under the deck and I knew she was going to the stairs.
“Girl! Look at you!” Honey shrieked then she disappeared.
“There’s my baby!” Ella cried then she disappeared.
I raced down the deck and hit Bessie on the fly as she got to the top of the stairs, arms tight, bodies swaying. Honey hit us and burrowed in so our arms moved to accommodate her. Ella came next and we affected a group hug, giggling and swaying.
Then we disengaged but Ella kept me close with an arm around me as I looked at her.