Athica Lane: The Carpino Series (34 page)

Then, I’m being yanked in the opposite direction I intended to go. 

Two guns fire in quick succession.  

And after that moment, time goes still…

*****

I hear a bellow. I even hear Brian collapse to the floor.  Yelling and commotion surrounds me.  But I barely take it all in. I’m being pulled away and before I know it, I can’t see anything. 

“Get her out of here,” my brother growls.

I’m in Cam’s arms and feel myself go up.  I’m being shifted as cool air hits me. 

“Fuck.  Shit.  Oh, thank you, God. Fuck,” I hear him pant in my hair where I’m being held tight.  We’re going down and I realize my face is being held snug in his neck. I feel him settle us, him leaning against a wall with his feet to the ground, his knees up, high and wide.  He’s cradling me in his arms and between his legs.  Holding me tight, he continues through labored breaths, “Fuck, baby.  You’re okay.  I’ve got you, you’re both okay.”

I turn my head out of his neck and look down.  I feel wet and sticky.  I look down farther and it’s all over me.  Splattered blood,
all over me
.  I start to shake and then hear myself scream.  I can’t control it, knowing what’s happened, what Brian did and no one was able to stop. 

Cam pulls me tighter with one arm and his other hand comes firmly to my face, “Stop, Paige.  Calm down.  He’s okay,” I can’t stop shaking but I stop screaming long enough to look up.  He levels his eyes on me and says, “Baby, he’s okay.  Jude hit his arm, his shot went wide.  You’ve got to calm down.”

“He’s alive?” I cry out, frowning through my tears.

“Yes.  Jude and Tony are with him.  Please, for the sake of the baby, you’ve got to calm down.  Breathe, I’ve got you.  You’re okay,” he whispers.

I look into his distressed eyes and nod.

I barely see him close his in relief before he turns me into his chest, holding me there in his strong arms.  Only then do I hear the damn sirens that I never want to hear again.  And I can’t tell the future, but I do know for right now the situation might not be good, but everyone’s alive and breathing. 

*****

“Watch her,” Jude frowns across the room with his eyes on Paige.  She’s sitting on the sofa between Leigh and her mom.  I put her in the shower and washed her myself, throwing away her clothes.  She’s now wrapped in a blanket assuring her family she’s fine.

“Of course he’s going to watch her,” Gabby says to her husband before she looks up at me.  “It might take some time, but she’ll be fine.  She’s a crier, but that’s only because every emotion that runs through her runs so deep, I’m sure she feels it in her toes.  No one feels deeper than Paige—it’s who she is.”

“You’ve got that right,” Tony mutters from beside me.  He crosses his arms and agrees, “She’ll get past this eventually.  It kills me she’s carrying guilt over this.  It’s not her fault he fixated on her, and because of his illness, it became scary as shit.  Only she would feel bad about that.”

“True, but she has you,” Gabby looks back at me.  “She’s got your kids and now she has a healthy baby and wedding to focus on.  She’s strong and she’ll get past this quicker than you think.  She’s got too much to be thankful for not to.”

I breathe a sigh of relief and silently agree.  She was so upset tonight, I insisted they check her and the baby out.  Even though it’s early, they were able to see a heartbeat which was not only a relief, but a miracle to boot.  The third one I’ve witnessed.  And the sweet that Paige has given me up until now, instantly multiplied hand over fist. 

“You’re sure you don’t need anything?” I hear Lizzie ask her.  Again.

“I’m good, Mom.  Just tired,” she says before her eyes come to me and widen.

Despite what we’ve all been through tonight, I have to press my lips together not to grin.

“And by the way,” Gabby keeps going, “I
love
your family.  Paige gave me your parents’ and sisters’ information. I was on the phone with all of them for hours today about the wedding.  Your sister secured the largest tent I’ve ever heard of and another for backup, in case there’s weather and you can’t have the ceremony outside.  I called all the florists your mom gave me and everyone’s gagging to work with the Montgomery’s.  Although, I think Paige might have an issue with your mom’s ideas for food.  She’s going to want to get a handle on that, A-sap.  Your dad is a hoot and is all over the electrical issues I spoke with him about, we can’t have a power outage from too much pull during the reception.  But all my Aunt Lizzie’s worried about are the dresses.  Leigh and I will be huge and Paige is so small, I’m sure she’ll be showing by then.  She’s probably going to have to pick a color and everyone wear a different style, lots of people are doing that these days.”

I look down at Paige’s cousin and frown.  We only announced we’re getting married last night.  How could they have gotten this far in one day? 

I feel a slap on my back and when I look over at Jude, he apologizes under his breath, “Sorry, man.  You should’ve done what Tony did.  You’re like me—didn’t think that shit out.”

“You’re sure you’re not hungry?  I can make you something before we leave.  Did they talk to you about prenatal vitamins at the hospital?” I hear Lizzie go on.

I put the wedding details out of my head and look to Paige, who looks more tired than I’ve seen her in days, and that’s saying something.  I move away from our group and announce, “Party’s over.”

Everyone looks at me, but it’s Lizzie who says, “I think she’s hungry.”

“She’s tired, Lizzie, she needs to rest.  If she’s hungry, I’ll get her what she wants,” I try to explain to my mother-in-law-to-be as gently as I can.

“Let me just get her some water, she doesn’t drink enough – ” she starts, but it’s her husband who interrupts her.

“Lizzie,” Paige’s dad stands holding out a hand for his wife and says firmly.  “Let him take care of her.”

“But – ” she starts to argue again.

“No,” he reaches down and grabs her hand, pulling her up.  “We’re leaving.”  He turns to his youngest daughter and moves to kiss the top of her head, “Love you, sweetheart.  Get some rest.”

Paige looks up to him and smiles a tired smile, “Love you, too.”

And with that, I shuffle the Carpino’s out as fast as they’ll let me.  Which unfortunately for me, wasn’t that fast.

*****

Cam comes back to the bedroom after he kicked my family out the door.  I could tell they didn’t want to leave, but it was getting late.  Even though my family can be in-your-face, they’re polite enough to leave eventually.  Sophia is keeping Jordy and Cara for the night since we were at the hospital late.  Now, it’s just the two of us.

I’m sitting against the headboard with my knees tucked to my chest waiting for him.  He starts his strip tease for me as he asks, “You okay?”

I shrug, “I don’t know.  I hope he gets the help he needs this time.”

I see Cam sigh as he climbs in bed.  He pulls me down and once he settles us on our sides facing each other, he pulls my leg over his hip with his hand on my bottom, holding me close.  But he stays quiet, not saying a word.

“You’re not okay, are you?” I finally ask after many quiet moments.

He exhales and shakes his head, “They made a huge-ass mistake during his medical evaluations, and then let him out on bail.  They notified your dad, but it was hours after it happened.  I’m not having much faith in the system.  You were both put in danger, it could have been much worse, and it was already really fucking bad.  None of it should’ve happened.”

Brian was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm.  He’d lost a lot of blood, but Jude called and learned he’s out of surgery.  His mom was able to see him for a bit, but he’s under police guard. 

I didn’t want to go because nothing happened to me, but everyone insisted I get checked out.  I was sent to OB and after having a transvaginal ultrasound, we learned that all is well with our baby.  Even though they said it’s still early enough that we might not see it, the heart fluttered on the screen.  I didn’t think anything would make me feel better after tonight, but seeing our baby on the screen for the first time, with his or her little heart beating, it was almost enough to make me forget about the entire nightmare. 

Of course I cried all over again and Cam had to pull me into his arms right there on the table.  But he did so while demanding, “We need a picture of that.”

Cam’s right.  Brian was evaluated and tested for every symptom he presented with, not to mention the background his mother gave them about his dad.  Something happened, a report went missing or something wasn’t put in his file, and he slipped through the system.  He was released on bail without being treated.  My dad got a call late this evening alerting him to the fact Brian was awarded bail.  He couldn’t get hold of Cam or me, so he called Tony.  That was when they were all racing to my apartment. 

Cam sweeps my damp hair out of my face and putting his hand to my chin, he pulls me in for a kiss.  When he lets me go, I have to swallow over the lump in my throat to whisper, “He had a gun pointed at you.”

Running his hand up my neck and into my hair, he sighs, “He had a gun pointed at both of you.”

I close my eyes, melting deeper into his warm body. 

“With all the charges against him, plus his state of mind, he won’t get out for a long while after tonight,” Cam says as he rubs my back.  “He’ll have to be competent to stand trial, not to mention parole, later on down the road.  This isn’t something we’ll have to think about for a long time.”

I nod, but do it knowing I’ll always carry a load of guilt when it comes to Brian.  I know his mental state would’ve been what it is despite his fixation on me, but he was a good friend for many years.  I only hope he finds peace.

“It’s time to get on with it,” he says into my hair, making me look up.  His goatee tips, “Between my mother, my sisters and your family, if you want any say as to how our wedding goes, you need to get a move on.”

I sigh, letting the tension go from my body and give him a small smile, “I know.”

“And you’ll back off your schedule?” he asks, but I know it’s not a question.

I roll my eyes, “I said I would.”

Cam’s grin grows into a smile and he rolls me to my back, “The baby,” he starts but kisses me first.  “Looks like you.”

I feel my brows furrow, but can’t help to smile at the same time, “You can’t tell what it looks like.”

“It’s tiny, just like you,” he says and dips his head into my neck, tickling me with his goatee.

“I’m hardly tiny,” I complain to the ceiling.

“Darlin’,” he starts and lifts up to look at me.  “You’re tiny.”

I pull in a breath before saying, “Well, I won’t be for long.”

His smile grows, “You’ll still be tiny, there’ll just be more to love.”

I return his smile, letting that settle in me when I repeat his words, “It’s time to get on with it.”

His smile fades and his blue eyes become intense, his voice gruff when he simply agrees, “Yeah.”

And then we did.  From that moment on, we got on with it.  The four of us, plus one, with a puppy and a cranky cat on Athica Lane.  We got on with it.  And it was perfect.

I stand, looking across the vast tent at my now husband holding Cara in her poufy white dress, the same shade as mine.  They’re standing to the side of the dance floor talking to some old friends he played football with in college.  A couple of them played in the pros for a few years and one still plays for the Cowboys.  He was only able to come tonight because he has a home game tomorrow.  How cool is that?

But my man is on a football high right now and that’s because last weekend he took his team to the state playoffs and won.  It was exciting. We were all there to see it, and by all, I mean all the Carpino’s and all the Montgomery’s. 

Yes, the Carpino’s and the Montgomery’s get on like they’ve been family friends for years.  But they would.  They’re cut from the same cloth, even if one is Western where the other is Midwestern. 

And I learned that Hattie rivals Lizzie for the most meddlesome mom.  She made me nervous when she came to visit last week for the big football state championship game and went shopping by herself.  When she returned, she didn’t have shoes or purses.  She had tile samples, paint samples and cabinet doors in an array of colors and finishes.  She asked me what I liked. I got nervous and called Cam.  He muttered a string of curse words and said he’d call me right back.  Three short minutes later, he growled over the phone, “Pick what you like.  She said you need a decent master bath before the baby comes.”

I argued.  The master bath might not be pretty, but it was fine.

“Baby, you pulled me out of a faculty meeting and I have a state championship game to think about.  I don’t have time for tile or my mother.  She’ll do what she wants—pick what you like or be surprised.”

So I picked tile when I’ve never picked tile before.  Hattie happily approved, I must not have done too bad.  However, the nursery is now on the top of my to-do list when we get back from our honeymoon.  I don’t need anyone hijacking my nursery. 

My sisters, cousins and aunts, along with Cam’s sisters, are all swinging each other around the dance floor, per usual, when there’s a family event with music.  The men are looking on from the side in tuxes and suits, everyone has lost their ties at this point in the evening and cuffs are rolled. 

It’s the end of November, but the air is barely crisp in Texas.  Our early evening wedding was perfect under the enormous cluster of live oaks.  The colors of fall were stunning in the evening light.  Besides some flowers near the altar that Cam’s dad had custom made for our wedding, it was flawless.  Anything more would have ruined it. 

Our guests sat on antique pews that Ellie scored from an old church.  They’re dark, weathered and looked perfectly at home in the woods.  Leigh even thought to have matching blankets at the end of each, in case anyone caught a chill. 

The ceremony was simple, or as simple as we could keep it with the Montgomery family pastor leading the way. He didn’t get too out-of-hand and luckily, Cam kept him from hugging me so I didn’t smell like his cologne the rest of the night. 

Leigh has broken off from the pack on the dance floor, her belly leading the way.  Besides her growing tummy, she looks exactly the same.  Other than her boobs, that is, which are normally lacking.  But she’s rocking her strapless dress with the empire waist showing off her new-found cleavage.  The flowy material below her chest is floor length in the palest of golds.  Leigh is thrilled beyond reason with the style because she finally has the shape of body that can hold up a strapless dress. 

“Girlie, your boobs are going to pop out of that gown,” she says as she plops herself down in a chair next to me.

“I know,” I agree, looking down at my dress.  The neckline dips to the band below my cleavage and a week ago it was perfect.  I didn’t count on my boobs blowing up overnight like they did.  I thought my mother was going to have a fit when I put it on before the wedding. 

When I reached Cam at the altar, he eyed my cleavage with a raised eyebrow.  I gave him a little shrug and shake of my head.  Then I felt his eyes rake over me and I had to smile because even if he didn’t approve, he approved.  He’s shown, and told me, over the past weeks how he loves my changing body.  And that made me fidget, even at the altar.  I knew he caught it too, because he rounded my waist with his arm and pulled me tight to his side, narrowing his eyes on me. 

Even though my bump is still small, I opted for an empire waist as well, just in case.  It’s still slim and somewhat fitted, showing off the fact that I’m pregnant, which I love.  My dress is simple like me, all silk with no adornment, the thinnest of straps holding it up with a short kick train.  My back is bare, showing off plenty of skin, making it sexy yet chic.  I love it—it’s elegant and matches the rest of our wedding.  My hair, as opposed to my dress, is complicated.  It’s collected at the base of my neck in a million different twists, knots and curls. 

“You’ve gone quiet, you okay?” Leigh asks.

I do what’s become a habit when my hands aren’t busy, and rub my tummy with our growing baby, “I’m thinking about Rosa.  I wish she were here.”

I think about my friend who I miss more than ever, especially now that things have settled down and we’ve fallen into a routine—a routine that doesn’t include Friday afternoons chatting and laughing with my elderly friend.  I miss her bossiness, I miss her words of wisdom and I miss her texts.  And I cannot bring myself to buy fudgesicles.  Every time I pass them in the freezer section, they bring tears to my eyes. 

That’s stupid, I know.  Ice cream treats on a stick should not make you cry.  Maybe it’s the hormones because everything makes me cry these days, but I just can’t get a handle on it. 

“I miss her,” Leigh sighs, sitting back and rubbing her bigger bump.  “She would have been a perfect adoptive grandmother for the boys.  My mom is a mess and Tony’s going to have a fit when she wants to come and see them.”

“I miss her, too,” I agree softly, but smile when I see Cara put her hands to Cam’s face, pulling it to her so she has his attention.  Whatever she says makes him smile big at his sweet girl and he rubs his face in her neck making her squeal. 

And just like always when Cam makes a hot dad move, I fall in love with my man all over again.  

*****

Five and a half months later…

She starts to stir.

And I don’t mean the perfect, tiny like her mama, one-day-old dark-headed baby sleeping on my chest.  I mean my wife.

The last twenty-four hours has been a fucking nightmare and an answered prayer. 

Paige went past her due date, showing no signs of going into labor on her own and the doctor said it was time to induce.  I don’t care how badly Paige wanted to have babies, her body wasn’t cooperating.  It turned into an emergency cesarean and I can’t say it wasn’t scary as shit.  It fucking was. 

Rose’s heart rate dropped and Paige’s blood pressure went up.  But the doctors did their job, it went fast and in the end, I got to be there when our daughter was born.  I’ve already asked and next time we’ll schedule the surgery.  I never want to go through that again. 

But now, in the middle of the night in her darkened maternity hospital room, her big brown eyes open and she turns her head toward Rose and me. 

“Go back to sleep,” I whisper.  “She’s good—I bet you can get another forty-five minutes before she’ll want to eat.”

Her tired face smiles softly when she whispers, “You’re beautiful.”

I frown but grin as I bring my hand up to Rose’s blanket-covered bottom to settle her as she tries to pull her knees in and say, “I’ve been called a lot of things, darlin’, but never that.”

“That’s because you weren’t holding our baby before,” she keeps on a whisper.

I put my other hand up to Rose’s back and head, spanning half her body she’s so small, and stand.  I transfer her easily to the crook of my arm and bend to kiss her mom.

Leaning up a bit, I look into her eyes, “Thank you, baby.”

“For what?” she whispers.

“I almost missed out on this.  Your sweet just keeps on coming—I don’t know what I would’ve done without it,” I whisper back.

“Love you.”

“Love you, too, Paige.”

“Cam?” she calls unnecessarily.

“Yeah?”

“I think I’m ready for a fudgesicle.”

I smile at my wife.

“Then I’ll get you one.”