Watching Oliver paint the trim around the window, I felt a pang of sadness. My mom never got to experience this. No man ever loved her, no man ever made her feel safe, and no man ever made her laugh. Maybe if I had that dad growing up I would be normal, too, but I didn’t. Our baby would never have to worry about that. Oliver would be the best dad in the world. He’d love our little girl like he did me and he would never let her be sad.
“What’s wrong? You sick?”
My eyes shifted from Ollie to my hand covering my stomach as I realized where my mind had gone…again. “No, hungry. Are you about ready to take a break?”
“Almost. You can get the salad stuff out if you want. I’ll be like ten minutes.”
“Well, if you weren’t such a perfectionist, I could help and you’d be done faster.”
“It’s not about that. I just like doing it.”
“Liar.”
Ollie’s playfulness always made me happy. Only he could insult me and make me smile. “You sort of suck at it. Just saying, Love.”
“I’m not talking to you anymore,” I called over my shoulder, smiling of course.
There wasn’t a doubt that I would always be different than other girls, but Oliver made that okay. He didn’t care about that and he never made me feel like I needed to be different. Except maybe sometimes when he thought I was just being difficult. Bad things happen to good people, but they also make them who they are. I sort of liked Jaq with a Q right now and I was in love with her life.
“You’re so stupid. Even if you do get pregnant, he’s not going to let you keep it. Take your medication.”
I looked up from flushing my medication down the drain to the voice, covering it with a more prominent thought. Oliver, our little girl and me, all holding hands while we walked through the flower garden, to the lake, and to the dock. We’d sit at the end and Oliver would hold our little one so her feet could touch the water, too.
“Jaq?”
I blinked away the notion and walked out to Ollie calling me from the porch.
“Answer my phone.”
“No, it’s Silas. I can’t.”
“Just hit speaker. I’ll talk to him.”
I answered Silas, hitting the little speaker button and held it closer for him.
“Hey, what’s up? You remember you have a brother,” Oliver said in a louder voice than he needed to.
Even I could hear the desperation in Silas’s tone. “Oliver, I need your help.”
Oliver stopped panting and turned toward the phone. “With what? What’s going on?”
“Before you render me crazy, you remember the same request.”
“Same request?”
“Yes, I need you to help me take Grayce.”
“Take her where?”
“Jesus, really? There. I want to bring her there. She needs to get away from everything here for a minute. She’s not thinking straight. Will you help me?”
Oliver climbed down the ladder, his eyes wide on me, and took his phone. “Help you do what, Silas?”
It didn’t even matter that he took it off speaker phone, I could still hear every word. “Kidnap her.”
“You’ve lost your mind. We’re not kidnapping Grayce. Jaq was different. She didn’t have anyone.”
“You owe me this, Oliver. Trust me. Just like I did you, trust me. I know this is right and I’m doing it, with or without you.”
“Fuck, Silas.”
“I helped you.”
There was only one problem with that in my mind. I didn’t care who Silas kidnapped if it was honestly for the right reasons, like Oliver and me. But…I didn’t want him to bring her here. This was our place, our lake, our house where I could talk, laugh, and make love to my soon to be husband anytime, anywhere. This was our happy life, and soon we’d have an addition to our little family. A little girl. I bet she’d even wear glasses just like her daddy. He would paint her room pink and white and read her stories while swinging on the porch swing.
I half listened to the rest of the conversation, my mind wondering once again, not even realizing the call had ended.
“Are you okay? What’s going on with you today? Did you hear me?”
“Huh? Yes, I heard. Silas wants you to help him kidnap Grayce, but I don’t want them here, Ollie. I don’t.”
“It won’t be for long. I promise. I have to, Jaq. Holy fuck! What did I just say? I can’t fucking do this. This isn’t the same. She’s got a life.”
I didn’t respond because he wasn’t expecting me to. He was freaking out. Way out.
“What if I get caught? I’ll end up in prison and you’ll be here all alone. Who would take care of you?”
That made me respond. “Don’t do it, Ollie. I’m scared.”
Oliver ran his fingers through his hair, but I didn’t hear what he said, not one word. I felt the wetness between my legs, and all else ended. I thought for sure I was pregnant this time. Four days late was the most I had ever gone. I was crushed…Again.
“Jaq? What is wrong with you?”
“Sorry, I got my period. I have to go.”
The End
Grayce with a Y
Coming July 26th, 2016
Jettie Woodruff, Jaq With a Q
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends