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It’s the most humiliating thing for a woman; to have a strange man poking around in your lady bits just because. The vaginal exam is over as quickly as it began. I feel a cold dollop of goo hit my stomach and I bite down on the inside of my lip scared that there may be no tiny thumps to be heard. Piercing my eyes shut, the nurse scans the Doppler wand over my abdomen and the distinct sound of static feels the air. I want to cry out because of the silence, but when she scans the wand over my left side a strong thump thump fills the room, saving me from asphyxiation. “The baby’s heart beat is a steady one hundred sixty beats per minute, Dr. Mayer,” the nurse announces.
“Thank you, Rhonda. If you’ll find her boyfriend for me, I’d be much obliged.” He replies kindly. “Miss Simon, I want you to open your lips and take a sip of some juice for me. That may help with the dry sensation you’re feeling in your throat.” I follow his instructions and immediately the cotton feeling that was digging at my esophagus subsides. “There are some officers here that would like to ask you some questions. I can ask that they speak with you later, or now if you’re up to it. The choice is yours.”
“La-aater, please.” I drag out slowly. My throat feels like I’ve been eating sandpaper all damn day.
“Very well. We’ll let you rest for about an hour then check in on you again before discharging you home. I’ll have the police officers make arrangements with Mr. Weston to take your statement possibly tomorrow.” I nod slowly, not able to find the strength to speak.
Two hours later, I’m woken up by the truck door slamming shut. Colton lifts me up into his arms, carrying me inside of the house where he lays me down on the couch. Mmmm, the delicious scent of the ocean breeze blankets me and the sleek leather is soft and cool to the touch. Inhaling a long deep breath, I’m instantly aware of my surroundings. My heart constricts tightly in my chest as I raise up quickly, flickering my eyes around the room. “Woah, settle down. Don’t need to be movin’ so fast there, darlin’.”
“Colton? Why the hell am I here?” I mutter in a dry, raspy voice. My head throbs harshly, the pain echoing through my ears.
“Do you remember anything about when you arrived at the mines, Carly Jo?”
I run my fingers through my tattered hair, searching my memory. Why the hell does my head hurt so damn bad? “I need a drink, please.” I whisper. Colton stomps off to the kitchen, returning quickly with a glass of sweet tea and Tylenol.
“Here, darlin’. The doctor said your head would hurt for a few days with the concussion.” He sinks down on the couch beside me. “Do you remember anything, Carly Jo? Why the hell did Drew Varney have his damn hands around your throat?”
“Drew?”
“Listen, baby. I know you’re not feelin’ well, and I understand that the two of us ain’t on the best of terms. But I’ll be damned if I won’t be gettin’ answers as to why he attacked you.” He barks out, his husky voice getting deeper and louder the madder he gets.
“It’s complicated, Colton; and I really don’t feel up to havin’ this little chat with you particularly at this moment. Just take me home, please.” I whine, fighting for my strength to stand up on my own two feet. He gently wraps his calloused hand around my wrists, drawing me back down beside him. He tips my chin up with his finger, forcing me to look him in the eyes.
“You ain’t goin’ anywhere tonight, darlin’. Now, tell me what the hell’s goin’ on.”
This is it. The secrets I’ve buried deep beneath the surface, as far down as I can hide them; I’m about to expose all of the lies and illusions of Big John Simon. Dragging in a scattered deep breath, I wring my hands in my lap nervously as I begin to tell Daddy’s secrets. “I’m only telling you this because I know you are the only person that I can rely on to protect me. Drew Varney is Big John’s bastard son.” His eyes widen as big as saucers as shock covers his face. “I didn’t know until I moved back. Do you remember that big oak chest you warned me about?” He nods. “I found some documentation linking Drew to Daddy; life insurance policies that weren’t discussed during the will reading. I asked James McCoy to look further into it and he reluctantly showed me the results from the DNA test that Daddy had when Drew was born.” I close my eyes, fighting back the tears of shame from the lies he led. “He hid this dark truth from everyone, Colton, for twenty some years. Now that Daddy is gone Drew wants Simon Energy and I’m fightin’ like hell to keep him from taking it from me.”
“That’s some deep shit.” He scrubs his hand over his face, his eyes are heavy and tired, and I’m sure he’s teetering on the edge of sleep deprivation. “Does Savannah know?” He asks.
I chew on my lip nervously, biting down hard enough to taste the metallic of my blood. “She doesn’t.” I whisper in a mouse like voice, dropping my head in my hands. “The worst part, Colton,” I pause dragging my hitched breath from my throat, “Drew has been a part of her life for years. Her son of a bitch husband, Josh, is Drew’s right hand man at AHCC.”
Colton leans back against the couch, scrubbing his hand roughly over his face. “You gotta tell her, Carly Jo. She deserves to know.”
“I’m trying to protect her, Colton. Savannah has been so different lately. She thinks Drew hung the moon and it scares me what may happen if she finds out.” I sob, choking on the tears. Colton wraps his arm around me tightly pulling me into his lap. I press my forehead to his shoulder, and cry out all of the pain of carrying Daddy’s secrets. Letting his secrets out, I feel no relief only more shame.
“Darlin’, you know he can’t legally take the mines from you; so stop worryin’ about that. We may not be together, but I’ll never let anything happen to you. I’ll protect you from everything that I can.”
And as comforting as his touch, I find comfort in his words. I know that no matter what happens between Colton and me, I can always count on him to be there when I need him. He may harbor resentment towards me for breaking his heart when he was trying so hard to prove his love to me; but he proved to me today that he’d never turn his back on me. He could have kept walking when he saw Drew attacking me, pretended that he didn’t see anything. But he didn’t. He can give me the cold shoulder and turn away from me, making me feel alone. But deep down, I know that Colton has never stopped loving me; nor will he ever.
Chapter 16
I slept like a baby last night snuggled close to Colton’s side. I don’t think he slept a wink all night as he laid watching over me. I wake up to the savory scent of bacon frying. I pad off to the kitchen zombie-fied in my steps, my hair a disheveled mess all over my head. But at thirteen weeks pregnant my appetite is finally back in full force and I’m starving, so I really don’t care. Colton has seen me at my worse too many times to count, one more ain’t gonna hurt a thing.
“Mornin’ sleepy head, how ‘bout some pancakes and bacon?” He asks sliding a plate in front of me. A man after my own heart, that Colton Weston. I lick my lips at the delectable stack of buttery pancakes before me, completely unaware that Colton’s eyeing me suspiciously. He releases a heavy grunt that catches my attention and I blush when I realize he’s been watching my mouth water over pancakes. I ignore his gaze, cutting into the pancakes and shoving a forkful in my mouth, moaning loudly around the food. Colton cocks an eyebrow up at me with an evil grin before he chuckles.
“Glad you’re finally eatin’. Had me a little worried there for a while, but it ain’t my place to say anything.” Sadness cracks in his voice.
“The first trimester was hard, but I feel more myself now.” I shrug, keeping my eyes down at my plate as I eat quickly, ready to haul ass out of here. Colton sips on his coffee as he keeps his eyes pinned on me and the harder he stares, the more self-conscious I feel. “Do I have syrup on my face?”
“Sorry, just got lost in thought. I gotta get over to Momma’s to get Heidi Jo ready for school.” He walks out of the kitchen quickly and I feel a pang of guilt for even being here, making him uncomfortable.
Before he can even open the front door to escape, I blurt out, “Are we ever gonna be us again, Colton?”
I turn to gauge his reaction, and my heart falters when his head drops to his chest. Keeping his back to me he tosses over his shoulder, “I ain’t makin’ any promises I can’t keep, darlin’,” then continues out the front door. I know in this instance that the comfort he consoled me with last night, he is only regretting this morning. I don’t know what to do to bring him back to me. My heart aches knowing the pain I’ve caused him.
My stomach knots in protest from my twisted nerves so I scrape my food in the trash can and rinse off the dishes before loading the dishwasher. Anxiety fills my chest as the fight or flight instinct deep inside of me kicks in. I can’t fight for him anymore. I’ve laid my heart on the line and begged for forgiveness but he ain’t ready to let his walls down inviting me back in. Had he not saved me from Drew’s attack yesterday, it’s hard to tell what state I’d be in today. Falling asleep in his arms never felt so right, but his demeanor today is right back to what it’s been for weeks, distant and guarded. I don’t have the strength to fight anymore.
I slide on my shoes and make my way over to Emma’s house. Without knocking, I let myself inside just as Emma scolded me to do over the weekend.
