Lies Beneath the Surface (Buried Secrets #2) (27 page)

He gently sets me on the bed then walks in the bathroom turning the shower on
. Coming back into the bedroom he scoops me up in his arms, carrying me to the bathroom where he undresses me first, then undresses himself. He’s filthy. Coal dust blankets his dark skin and rims his dark as night eyes like black eye liner. He steps into the shower, pulling me in behind him as he wraps his arms around me tightly. The hot, steamy water cascades around us and he holds me quietly, with his forehead pressed to mine watching me cry. He reaches up with the pads of his thumbs and dries my tears as he presses a swift, sweet kiss to my lips. My chest heaves rapidly as I suck in a short breath that catches in my throat. Being wrapped in his arms, a feeling of protection washes over me and I find a peaceful solace. Colton washes my hair and my sobbing slowly deduces to silent cries. He washes my body, slowly caressing the loofa over my shoulders and back, trying to ease the tension that I carry.

After he scrubs the coal dust from his skin, he turns the water off before wrapping a towel around my shoulders then one around his hips.
We dry off and get dressed without speaking a word. The tears have stopped but my breathing hiccups in my chest as my nerves steady. He pulls me behind him into the living room, placing me in his lap as he sits in the recliner. I snuggle my face into his chest and shudder as I inhale his fresh ocean scent. He grips his arms around me tighter and a soothing calm blankets me. I thank God in this moment for Colton. We’ve been through so much together but he always proves his love for me and anchors me when I need him the most.

“You wanna tell me what has you so upset, darlin’?” Colton
asks quietly. I look into his eyes, sadly and shake my head as I bite down on my lip. His lips form a hard line and he cocks his eyebrow up at me, “darlin’, talk to me. I’m not askin’ ya, but demandin’ ya tell me what’s got you so damn tore up,” he kisses me softly again, “please. Just talk to me. Don’t shut me out. I hurt when you hurt, baby.” His voice grows deeper with anger. His body warms beneath me and I know he won’t relent until he knows why I’m so distraught. I promised Savannah I wouldn’t tell her secret, but I don’t know that I can keep that promise.

I pinch my eyes together and try to find the words to tell Colton about Savannah
, but all that falls from my mouth is, “Luke was right,” before the sobs return. I clutch onto his chest harder, burying my face as I cry. Colton’s body goes rigid and the warmth of his body blazes to a smoldering heat. He kicks the bottom of the recliner down and places me on the couch as he begins to pace the floor.

“Where is she?” He
barks through clenched teeth.

“She’s at home.”

He stops mid step, turning an icy cold glare at me. “Darlin’, why?”

“I-I begged her to leave him, Colton. She refused. It took me a while to get it out of her that he was abusing her and when the dam finally broke all she
could do was scream and cry.” He continues to pace briskly across the floor, raking his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“Get dressed, we’re goin’ to get her and the kids. They can stay at your house.”

“We can’t!” I shrill, and notice immediately that I’ve overreacted to his statement.

“Darlin’
, I can’t stand by knowin’ that he’s hurtin’ her and do nothin’ ‘bout it.”

“I promised that her secret would stay safe with me, Colton. I can’t break my trust with Savannah. Josh is out of town, so she’s safe tonight. I just have to open her
eyes to the monster that he is and hope she’ll listen.”

“So she still don’t know about Drew?” I shake my head shamefully, looking down at my hands as they twist nervously in my lap.

He takes two steps towards me, sitting down on the coffee table in front of me. He frames my face with his hands and pulls me closer to him. Looking deep in my eyes he caresses my cheeks as he speaks. “Baby, I know you don’t want to cause Savannah any pain. But how are you protectin’ her by keepin’ this secret?”

I pull away from his hands and sigh in frustration. I’m not mad at him for pointing out the truth, I’m pisse
d at myself for being a coward. I’m pissed because I’m only hurting her more by hiding the truth from her.

“I don’t know!” I yell, scrubbing my hands over my face. “You should have seen her, Colton. Savannah acts strong, like she has it all together perfectly, when in reality she’s shredding at the seams.
I’m scared that if I tell her about Drew, she’ll completely flip.”

Colton releases a deep pent up breath, and he throws his hands up in defeat. “Darlin’ you know
your sister better than anyone. You know what she can handle and what she can’t. I’ll do whatever you want me to do, even though it takes everything in me not to hunt his ass down and beat that pathetic bastard to a frickin’ pulp. Ain’t no woman deserves to be treated as a punchin’ bag.” He shakes his head, clenching his fist together tightly at the top of his thighs. “But I’m tellin’ you now, Carly Jo, you need to tell her the truth. It may just open her eyes to the life around her. The truth may just save her.”

The trees rustle quietly through the mild, spring breeze. The sun casts down rays of warmth over my face as I lay on the blanket in the grass reading on my Kindle, lazily caressing my belly. She’s so active, making her presence known with her tiny feet pressing into my side. I revel in each sensation of feeling her move within my womb. As her tiny body develops and progresses with each passing day, her home becomes tighter, making any movement she makes more uncomfortable for the both of us.

Colton has been working crazy hours this last month and we haven’t had much family time. He woke up this morning in the mood
to fish. Once he mentioned muddin’ and fishin’ to his little princess she tossed the tutu aside for some cut off blue jean shorts and polka dotted rain boots. I put together a picnic and within an hour we were climbing the hills to our favorite pond.

“Daddy, the only dang thing bitin’ out here is the bugs. Where’s the fishies?
” I look up to see Heidi Jo impatiently watching the bobber dance across the pond, her hand firmly on her hip as she toes tap the ground. They’ve been fishing for about two hours now and judging by the frustration laced in her voice, they haven’t had much luck.

“Patience, princess.” Colton whispers
as he eases toward his line, watching with a trained eye. He jerks the line out of the water, reeling it vigorously. As the bass flops up out of the water Heidi Jo shrieks, jumping up and down in excitement over Colton’s big catch of the day.

“Yeah! Way to go daddy!” Heidi Jo yells, wrapping her arms around Colton’s waist. “I wanna hold it.” She says, reaching out for the squirmy
bass. “Ewww, why’s it so slimy? Gross!” She prances on the balls of her feet holding the bass loosely in her hands. I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my laughter. I remember the very first time Daddy ever placed a fish in my hand and I nearly dropped the scaly critter in a fit of panic.

“It’s just a little fish, baby girl. He lives in the pond, he’s supposed to be slimy.” Colton laughs
, taking the fish from Heidi Jo’s hands. He walks to the bank of water and releases the fish into the water.

“Hey! What’d you do that for? I wanted to take the fishy home with me.
” She pouts, planting her hands on her hips firmly.

“Take it home? It wouldn’t survive there
, princess. We fish for fun.” Colton tells her as he swoops her up in his arms and carries over to the blanket where I’m propped up on my elbows. I pull myself up and squirt hand sanitizer on their hands before pulling the food from the cooler to make their lunch. Leaning against Colton’s chest, I sneak a grape from his plate when he’s not looking.

“
Don’t you like to fish, Carly Jo?” Heidi Jo asks with a full mouth.

“
I love it, sweets. Your daddy and me used to fish in this same pond when we were younger.” I say rubbing my belly lovingly.

“Well whatcha doin’ layin’ on the blanket readin’ a book for? The fish are just startin’ to bite!
You ain’t scared to bait your hook are ya? Daddy always makes me put the worm on the hook.” She shudders, looking down at the sandwich in her hands.

“
Who do ya think taught your daddy how to bait a hook?” Her eyes grow wild with bewilderment and she begins to snicker.

“Don’t let her lie to ya, princess. She’s worried your daddy would out fish her like all the times before.” Colton
says and without looking I know that cocky ass grin that I love so much is without a doubt splayed across his tanned face.

I scoot up against him nudging him in the side play
fully and whisper “smart ass” against his neck. He pecks my nose with a kiss. When we dated, so many of our weekends were spent up in these hills, muddin’ and fishin’. I think the moment Colton Weston fell head over heels in love with me was when he saw me sitting on a rock, baitin’ my own hook. I guess he assumed that he’d have to coddle me, putting the worm on the hook and show me how to cast my line into the water. Before he had the chance to pick his chin up from the ground, I had cast my line and within minutes hooked a four pound bass. A smile tips up my lips remembering the look of shock in his eyes when I released my catch. Colton Weston learned two very valuable lessons that day.

One-never underestimate me.

Two- a woman who hooks her own worm is a keeper.

After they finish
eating, I lay on the blanket watching Heidi Jo and Colton plunder the bank of the pond for tadpoles. The sound of their laughter fills my ears and my heart nearly burst with contentment. It’s the cutest sight to behold, the love my sweet man has for his little girl. Colton hung the moon in Heidi Jo’s eyes and they have an inseparable bond that can’t be broken. A love so unconditional and pure that it is perfected. Colton is more than just Heidi Jo’s daddy; he’s her hero, her best friend, her safety net. Becoming a daddy at such a young age, you could almost say the two of them have grown together, teaching each other along the way. Yes-a child can teach an adult so many things without ever knowing so or even meaning to. When you open your eyes to love, true love, you open your heart to possibilities you never knew existed.

“We’re goin’ muddin’, Carly Jo. You gonna come with us?” Heidi Jo ask
s, popping her hip to the side.

“No sweets, the trails just a bit too rough f
or me and your little sister. You and Daddy go have fun.”

“
Oh brother, I don’t never wanna baby in my belly if I can’t go fishin’ or muddin’. This is just too much.” She mutters, throwing her arms up in the air as she stomps off towards the side-by-side. My goodness she has more spunk than any seven year old little girl should ever have.

“You sure you wanna stay here
all by yourself? I’ll go easy.” Colton whispers in my ear, gripping my hips in his strong hands.

“
Go have fun. I want to finish this book and it’s so peaceful up here.”

“We’ll be back in half an hour, then we’ll head home.”

He adjusts Heidi Jo’s helmet before climbing in the side-by-side and roaring the engine to life. With a short wave, he guns the gas and I can hear Heidi Jo’s muffled laughter from beneath the helmet.

I lay b
ack down on the blanket, and pick up my Kindle to finish reading
Unforeseen Heartbeat
by Maureen Mayer. I love reading about hot alpha males that protect their woman to the ends of the earth, fighting through the depths of Hell to save the love of their life; the kind of man that reminds me of Colton. But Hunter Bryant is unlike any other book boyfriend I’ve ever fell for. He’s sweet, sensual and caring. He’s a lot like Luke. Colton always laughs at me for getting all caught up with fictional characters, swooning over men who live only in my head. I think it’s a bit of jealousy on his end, although none of these book boyfriends could ever hold a light to him.

I read until my eyes feel heavy and the warmth of the sun soothes me to sleep. I don’t know how long I nap for, but
the rumbling motor of the side-by-side approaching pulls me from my slumber. Colton leaves the engine running and climbs out of the ATV stalking towards me. I stand up gathering the cooler and blanket meeting him half way. He takes the cooler, lacing his hands in mine and pulls me beside him without saying a word. He walks quickly to the side-by-side and his hand trembles nervously in mine. His demeanor has shifted completely from what it was when he left here.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, stopping be
fore we reach the side-by-side.

“It’s Pops.” He says cracking his knuckles.

He climbs in the ATV not willing to offer me any further explanation. We work our way back down the rugged mountain and Colton quickly straps the side-by-side down to the trailer while I help Heidi Jo change into dry clothes and buckle her in the back seat. He climbs in the cab, and roars the engine to life. I slide over closer to him, linking my arm in his trying to lend him my strength. Worry fills his eyes and heat radiates from his rigid body, his knuckles white with tension as he grips the steering wheel tightly. I don’t know what’s wrong, but whatever has happened has Colton waging a war within himself that has rendered him speechless.

Colton and Bill’s relationship has been strained to say the least over the last several months.
From what I can tell the wedge between them began to grow after Drew Varney became Bill’s business partner. Bill has always been a gruff old man, but now he’s quiet and distant. Even Emma has expressed concern for him lately, but like Colton, Bill keeps his demons buried deep and deals with it in his own way.

When we get to the hospital we find Emma in the ER waiting room.
Her face is pale with tear stains trailing down her cheeks. Colton squares his shoulders as he approaches her, and I swear in that moment he takes all of the emotions that are gripping him and slides them in his back pocket. He sees the pain and worry in his momma’s face and blankets her in his strength, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“Momma, what happened?” Colton asks Emma.

“He collapsed in the truck garage as they were working on one of the trucks. Doctor said it was a mild heart attack, so they’re gonna keep him overnight for observation and run a stress test in the mornin’.” She sighs sadly. I can only imagine how helpless she felt receiving that phone call, being all alone and having no one to turn to.

“
Are you okay?”

“Yes son, just worried about your dad.” She says softly, wringing her hands together in her lap.
He talks with her quietly for a few more minutes before standing to his feet and pulling her into a hug.

“
I’m gonna take my girls home. I’ll be back in an hour to see him.”

Colton re
mains impassive and quiet on the drive home. He takes a quick shower before kissing me goodbye as he heads to the hospital to check on Bill. I know he’s worried about his dad, but I can only open my arms to him for comfort when he needs it. Although I hate to see the fierce emotions brewing in his dark brown eyes, I know he’ll deal with it in his own way.

I order pizza
for dinner while Heidi Jo takes a shower. While we wait for the delivery guy, we enter a fierce competition of
Just Dance 2014
. Yeah, I’m six months pregnant and I’m shakin’ my ass like I’m seventeen again. She nearly takes the game until the final round when we dance to
Limbo
by Daddy Yankee. The site of my big belly bouncing around as I twist my ass doubles her over in laughter so hard that she’s rolling on the floor gripping her sides instead of dancing.

After we eat dinner, Heidi Jo asks if I’ll watch Frozen with her before she goes to bed. She is absolutely obsessed with this movie
, singing the soundtrack loudly and reciting scenes verbatim. Honestly, if I hear
Let it Go
one more time, I may lose my shit. But I’ll do anything tonight to keep the worry for her papaw at bay. She doesn’t know exactly what’s wrong with Bill, because Colton felt no need to go into detail with her. But her little eyes are filled with concern.

I pop a bag of popcorn while she starts the movie, then
settle on the couch with my kindle in hand. She lays in the floor on her belly, with her chin propped up on her hands while she watches the movie. Thunder rumbles in the distance and a flash of lightning brightens up the living room as the sound of rain begins to pelt the roof top. Heidi Jo jumps to her feet and hurries around the coffee table to climb on the couch, clutching my arm insecurely.

“Sweets, are you scared of storms?” I ask, covering her with my t
hrow blanket. She nods silently, chewing on her thumb. “You don’t have anything to be scared of.” I whisper to her. Lightning crashes and a raging thunder rolls loudly as the house falls dark. Heidi Jo whimpers, burrowing her head under the blanket. “Hey, don’t panic.” I pat her on the leg, then reach for my cell phone. “Here, I’ll turn on the flashlight on my phone. Just sit still while I go get a candle from the kitchen.”

“Don’t leave me!” She cries, latching onto my arm as I stand up. She hangs onto my shirt sleeve as I go into the kitchen, digging candles and a flashlight out of the cabinet.
Her feet shuffle slowly beside me and her tiny voice shakes with light mewls. I strategically place the candles on the coffee table, lighting them with matches. As the soft flames flicker about the room, Heidi Jo’s tensions resolve. She climbs up on the couch and releases a deep breath, her small shoulders dropping as she relaxes. I take my cell phone from her hand, placing it on the table to reserve the battery just in case Colton tries to call. Sitting down beside her on the couch, I pull her close to me, tucking her under my arm.