Done (Harmony Haven #1)

Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-Three

JESSE

The next day, when Easton and I pulled up to what was left of my house, I was finally able to see the reality of what happened firsthand. A fresh wave of emotions came over me as I walked as close as I could, given that there was tape keeping anyone from getting too close. The words crime scene on the barrier made me suck in a sharp breath and close my eyes.

“I’m here,” Easton assured me, rubbing a hand up and down my back.

“It's so hard to believe that Clay was capable of this.”

Miles pulled up behind us and stepped out of his patrol car. When he sidled up next to me, he pulled me into a hug, making me feel like he was not only Easton’s brother, but mine as well.

“You okay?” He asked, looking into my eyes.

I nodded, but it was halfhearted and sad.

“What’s the word?” Easton asked.

“Rory is the only one talking, but apparently she knew Clay Tamlin from her time in Atlanta. When Clay found out Jesse was in Harmony Haven, he called Rory up as an excuse to linger here in town.”

The fact that Clay had been in Harmony Haven all that time, possibly watching everything I did, and getting information about Easton from Rory, sent a fresh wave of shudders down my back.

“According to Rory, Clay called her before you two had ever met. He asked her to scare you away from Easton. I think he knew as long as Easton was around, he wouldn’t be able to get to you.”

“How would he know I was close to Easton, I hadn’t met her until I was at the station and…” I paused, thinking back, always feeling like the entire neighborhood had been watching me. “What if he was always around? What if he saw Easton coming over?”

“Fuck,” Easton growled, “I should have killed him when I had the chance.”

“According to what we’ve found so far, he was fired from his job a week after you moved to Harmony Haven. Maybe he found out where you were and spent too much time here?”

I felt sick to my stomach thinking of all the things Clay could have been around for. And thinking of how he was definitely in Atlanta while I was there for my meeting made it even creepier. He was clearly keeping tabs on me. Following me.”

“Rory swears she had no idea Clay was going to do anything as bad as arson. She said no one was ever supposed to get hurt. But she did admit to telling Clay how our parents died. That night I saw them at Fiddler’s, she was acting funny because she hadn’t expected us to be there and Clay didn’t want to leave.”

“Fuck,” Easton groaned, shaking his head back and forth and pulling on his short locks.

“Hey,” I tapped his cheek gently. Nothing made me stronger than knowing someone I loved needed me to be strong. “Look at me.”

He did and I waited a minute to make sure he had come back to the present before I continued. “We are all okay now. Despite their messed up attempts, we are together, we are over our own hurdles, and we can move on.”

“You’re right,” he whispered. “We can move on.”

“So,” Miles clapped. “It’ll be a process, but Rory and Clay are both in big trouble. Rory is spilling her guts so she may get a deal, but Clay is going to have attempted murder charged against him. He won’t be around, I promise.”

That was enough for me. Between Clay being locked up and Easton vowing to never leave my side, I took my first sigh of relief in two days.

“Let’s go get, Max,” Easton suggested, pulling me toward his truck. We had taken Max to Daniel and Carlee’s house to play while we visited the scene. He sensed something was wrong, but he was too young to see his home burned to the ground.

“Yeah,” I followed Easton, waving bye to Miles. “Let’s go get our baby.”

For the following week, Max and I stayed with Easton. He insisted we stay close, and even made sure his extra bedroom was turned into Max’s play place. The community had donated toys for the cause, along with West sending something brand new every day. But when it came time for bed, he curled up between Easton and me where I knew he felt safe.

“West said Max and I could move into the house he just had redone on Stratford Street.”

Easton leaned up on one arm, looking over the top of Max as we laid in bed. Max was sound asleep, curling into Easton’s side, and he adjusted a little with the movement.

“Stay here,” Easton suggested.

It hadn’t been the first time Easton had mentioned that he didn’t want Max and me to go anywhere, but I wasn’t so sure we were ready for cohabitation. Easton had no idea what it was like living with a three year old every single day. Now that we were finally on the same page in our relationship, the last thing I wanted to do was scare him away.

“We’ve talked about this,” I whispered with a smile.

“But look,” Easton pointed down at Max. “He loves it here. And I love having you both as close as possible. Not to mention, without Max, who’s gonna be around to help me talk shit about Linc and his Honda?”

I giggled, thinking about Miles’ poor friend, who had stopped by to check on us and was subjected to Easton and Max saying, “Pee yew,” while pointing at his car. Linc was a good sport though, agreeing that it wasn’t the toughest car ever. But he countered that he was able to drive around town for a month without needing gas, while Easton had to get fuel twice a week in his big truck.

“I love you,” I smiled. “But I need more time to date you before we commit to living together.”

Easton sighed and laid his head back down. He was too calm, too content, and I knew it was because he’d keep insisting until I agreed. Just like he had when he knew we’d be together forever, he fought hard, and it was in my best interest to not fight something that was so clearly destined to happen anyway.

Climbing gently from the bed, I padded around to Easton’s side and pulled him up with a finger against my lips so he stayed quiet. When we made it to the living room, I pointed to the couch and Easton sat on the center cushion while I grabbed my bag from the corner.

“The night of the fire, I had come over here to tell you I loved you. But I also made you something.” Suddenly, I was anxious, and scared that what I had was lame. I wanted to make Easton smile, but what if he laughed at me instead?

“Show me,” he pressed, shaking my hand that was still holding on to my bag.

Reaching in, I pulled out the lined sheets of wide ruled paper that had been stapled on the sides to make it open like a book.

“I didn’t have a binder,” I shrugged. “But after you left that day, and I got home with Max, I realized how much you meant everything you had said to me. It was the first time I can remember believing with all my heart that I was truly loved. Not as a mother, or a daughter, but in love. I realized that what you needed was to feel that same love. If I could return it, then I knew it would be something special.”

Handing over the papers to Easton, he smiled as he read the front page I had hand drawn in block font and colored in with designs. It looked like something a girl would doodle in seventh grade to pass the time as her teacher bored her about whatever subject she may be in.

Questions I want to ask Easton.

Easton swallowed, then bit his lip, before looking back up at me with a gleam of love in his bright eyes. “You made me a binder?”

“I had some questions,” I shrugged. “This is how we ask, right?”

Easton smiled with a faint blush on his cheeks as he opened the first page.

Question 1: Why me?

“Why you? Not sure I had a choice in the matter,” Easton answered. “Like I said, the moment I met you, I was done for.”

Question 2: Does the fact that I have a son scare you?

“It used to,” he admitted, continuing to answer the questions as he read them. “But you know what’s scary? The call I got about Max being hurt at school, or the feeling I had when I thought I’d lost him forever. That is scary. His existence is not . It's a gift, and I want to be everything Clay never was for him.”

My breath hitched as the meaning behind his words sent tingles down my spine. Knowing Easton realized what role he could potentially play in Max’s life–and welcomed it–was making my heart burst with even more love.

Question 3: Will you be patient with me?

His eyes shot up from the paper and he smirked with a slight shake of his head. “I’ve told you I will be. I’ve told you I’d wait forever for you to realize you love me.”

“I already know I love you,” I laughed softly. “But you’re ruining all my plans, Easton. Will you be patient while I learn what it means to be in love?”

“That’s something we'll be learning together.” He leaned closer and skimmed his lips against mine. “Let’s both promise to show each other some grace.”

“Deal.” I pressed my lips hard against his and wrapped my arms around his neck, practically pushing myself into his lap. There were two more questions, but the papers fell to the floor as Easton chose to run his hands through my hair and around the back of my neck.

“Com’ere,” he whispered, leaning back and guiding me over the top of his body. “Tell me what you need.”

“You. Always you.”