Finding Our Reality (The Reality Duet #2)

Chapter 39

ELLA

I turn in my seat, smiling when I see Laura bouncing in excitement. She doesn’t see me watching her. She’s too busy staring out the window as we pass by the gigantic houses in my neighborhood.

“I’m so very excited. I hope she likes my present.”

“I know she’ll love it, but your mom didn’t have to buy Anna a present. I told you that.”

“Mommy didn’t buy it. Uncle Ry did. Mommy helped me make the card. She put the glue on the paper and I did the glitter.” She gives me a knowing look, “I could’ve done it myself, but I didn’t wanna hurt her feelings.”

I steal a glance at Ry. “You enjoy shopping for dolls?”

He shrugs. “It wasn’t all that bad.”

Laura pipes up from the back seat. “He threw a football in the store and broke a display of blocks. You’re not supposed to play inside of the store.”

I burst out laughing. Ry looks at his niece in the rearview mirror. “Snitch,” he snarls.

“Miss Lulu? You really have a big house like this?”

“I do. It was my parents’ house. I grew up there.”

She pushes her glasses up on her nose. “But I thought you lived at Uncle Ry’s now?”

I open my mouth. I’m not exactly sure how to respond to that. Laura is going to stay the night at Ry’s house tonight, and we haven’t decided exactly what to do. Last time Laura was there, Ry slept on the couch. “Well, uhh... what makes you say that?”

Smirking, she folds her arms across her chest. “I’m six. I’m not stupid.” Smiling proudly, she ticks off the evidence on her tiny fingers. “I saw your makeup in the bathroom, I saw your clothes in the laundry basket, and I saw your flip flops on the patio by the firepit.” Her eyes immediately light up. “Hey! Can we sit by the firepit tonight?”

Ry answers, “We’ll see. I guess I should start calling you Little Detective instead of Little Girl, huh?”

I grab the water bottle from the console and take a sip. “Well, that was certainly impressive. She’s observant.” I give him a teasing smile, “Gunning for your job one day?”

He holds out his hand for the bottle and takes a drink after me. “Sounds like she’s going after both of our jobs.” He hands the water back to me and turns up the volume on the stereo a notch so Laura can’t eavesdrop as easy. “By the way, I spoke to Brooke. I let her know the status of our relationship. She’s completely fine with us sharing our bed as normal tonight. She trusts us. And she trusts us with Laura.”

I inhale so deeply my ribcage hurts. “And what’s the status of our relationship?”

“We’re in it, Lulu. There’s no point in hiding our involvement from Laura. In fact, I think it will do her some good to see adults engaged in a healthy, caring relationship.” He turns into the driveway and throws the truck into park. His hand covers mine. “There’s no running away anymore. For either of us. You’re mine.”

I lean forward, eager to taste his lips on mine.

“What are we waiting for?” Laura whispers, looking from Ry to me. She’s escaped her seat belt and pushed her way onto the middle console between the two of us.

For once, Ry’s the one rolling his eyes. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

We walk around the back gate where everybody is already by the pool. You can tell Laura is just a little bit nervous to see so many people. She takes a step closer to Ry’s leg.

Anna runs across to meet us. “Hi!”

Ry guides Laura forward with a soft hand on her shoulder.

She immediately sticks her hand in front of her, introducing herself. “Hello, I’m Laura Margaret Crutchfield.”

The formality doesn’t faze Anna one bit. She grins, shaking Laura’s hand. “Hi, I’m Anna Ruth Beachum. Thank you for coming to my birthday party.”

“Here, I made you a card.”

Anna studies the card. “Ohh, it’s so pretty. I love the glitter. I have a bulletin board in my room. I can hang it on that.” Anna holds the card out to me. “Look at it, Smelly Ellie. Isn’t it beautiful?”

I nod. “It’s very beautiful.”

“Smelly Ellie? That’s a funny name. Does Miss Lulu fart a lot?”

“Laura!” My yell is louder than I intend for it to be.

Ry’s laughing so damn hard I think about knocking him into the pool.

Our reaction makes the girls giggle uncontrollably. “No, I just started calling her that when I was really little because it rhymed.”

Holt walks up, scooping Anna into his arms. The two of them have quite the special bond. “What’s going on? What did I miss?”

Anna kisses his cheek. “We’re talking about Smelly Ellie’s poots.”

He scrunches his nose, sniffing. “Ella farted?”

Ry doubles over, clutching his stomach. My face turns beet red. Despite my best efforts not to laugh, I can’t help it. “No one farted! We are not talking about me and bodily functions.”

Holt holds up his hands in surrender. “Hey, we all do it.”

Anna shoves the card in front of his face. “Look at my beautiful card, Uncle Holt. Laura made it for me.”

Laura holds out her hand, introducing herself again. Holt sets Anna on the ground and kisses Laura’s outstretched hand. “The pleasure is all mine, milady. Holt Hill, at your service.”

Laura’s eyes grow wide. “Like a knight. And so handsome too.” She turns to Ry. “Like King Arthur and His Knights of the Roundtable .”

I rub Laura’s head. “You’ve already read that book?”

“Uncle Ry read it to me. Every time I stay with him, before bedtime we read from a really old, really important adult book.”

Anna looks at Ry. “Can I show Laura my cake before we go swimming?”

He nods and the girls race off.

Holt kisses me on the cheek and shakes Ry’s hand. “I’m running out to get another bag of ice for the cooler. Y’all need anything?”

Ry shakes his head. “No, man, we’re good.” He places a hand on my back and traces the curve of my spine, settling right above my ass. He holds me tight as we walk over to join everyone else.

“I didn’t know you still did that. Read classic literature before bed? Why haven’t you been doing it?”

He leans over, nuzzling his lips against the shell of my ear. His hot breath makes me shiver. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been pretty busy each night before bed. There’s been a lot of time to make up for. The games have been keeping my mind more than occupied.”

I stop walking and pull him around so he’s facing me. His back is toward everyone, and his body eclipses mine, so they can’t see what we’re doing. Under the guise of a cuddle, I lean in and fondle his groin. It immediately jumps to life in my hand. Standing on my tiptoes, I bite his lip. “Game on.”

I immediately dart to the side and roll from his embrace. “Hi!” I wave at my family and friends and start dispensing hugs. I can’t help but laugh when it takes a good minute before Ry can turn around and join us.

***

We’re all lounging around the patio after gorging ourselves on amazing food and birthday cake. The girls have been playing with Anna’s new toys for the past hour. We convinced them to eat and do presents first because we knew that we’d never be able to get them out of the pool once they jumped in.

“Can we please go swimming now?”

Ry nods to Raylee, deferring to her for an answer.

“Yes, you can go swimming now.”

The words are barely out of her mouth when the girls strip off their cover-ups and race to the side of pool.

“Little Girl,” Ry hollers, “aren’t you forgetting something?” He points to his eyes.

“Oh! Right.” Laura skips back over and hands her glasses to Ry.

We watch, as both Laura and Anna jump into the pool, holding hands.

“They’re really getting along,” Aunt Teresa says. “That’s great.”

Ridge and Cullen’s mom, Dana, laughs. “They definitely play well together. Reminds me of all you kids when you were younger.”

Cullen snorts. “Are you serious? Ridge and Holt made my life miserable.”

Holt takes a swig of his beer. “I resent that. I think we treated you quite fairly.”

Cullen squints his eyes. “Forcing me to eat worms does not constitute treating me fairly.”

Ridge pushes the ballcap up on his forehead. “We did not force you. You did that all on your own. I can’t help it if you’d eat anything for money.”

Cullen would eat anything for money. I was there the night he ate a grasshopper.

“Speaking of friends,” I say, changing the subject, “why didn’t Anna invite any of her other friends or classmates? I told you it was fine to invite as many people as you want to the house, I trust you.”

Raylee shrugs. “It was Anna’s idea. She didn’t want Laura to feel like the odd man out.”

Ry shifts in his chair and rubs his fingers across his chin. “Oh, wow.” He clears his throat, trying to mask his emotion. “That was really nice of her. Thank you.”

Raylee smiles, watching the girls. “She gets that from Will,” she says with a wink at her husband. “Laura goes to Parkside?”

“Yeah, Brooke’s apartment is zoned for there.”

Raylee nods. “That’s a good school.”

“It is, but their testing scores have been on the decline for the past couple of years, so that’s a little concerning. Anna goes to Rockdale, right? That’s an awesome school.”

Test scores? Ry has time to study the test scores of our county’s public schools?

“You know, I’m on the board for the Parent Teacher Organization. Last I heard, there were still a few out-of-zoning spots open. There’s only two-and-a-half weeks before school starts back, but I could get you an application if you’d like.”

Ry leans forward, engrossed in the conversation like Raylee just told him she knows the real identity of D.B. Cooper. “Really?”

“Sure.”

“Thank you, Raylee.” Ry adjusts the ballcap on his head, pulling it down closer to his eyes so I can’t read his expression, but I know he’s happy. He sits back in his chair and possessively wraps a hand around my crossed legs. His fingers trace up and down my thigh. I can’t help but notice that all of the men in my life eagle eye his actions—Uncle Ray, Marcum, Holt, Will, Ridge, Cullen, and their dad, Jeff. If Ry’s intimidated by their stare, he doesn’t let on. Aunt Teresa discreetly pokes Uncle Ray in the stomach, making Nancy laugh.

The baby monitor crackles to laugh, and we all listen as Ty grunts and wiggles. You can hear the sound of his diaper scrunching as his butt bounces around in the playpen. “Uh-oh, someone’s missing the party.” Raylee scoots her chair back to stand up.

Nancy reaches across Marcum and shoos her hand in Raylee’s face. “Let me. I always loved getting the kids up from naptime.”

Raylee flips off the baby monitor as Nancy heads into the house. “You don’t have to ask me twice, Nancy.”

We spend the next two hours talking and relaxing. We laugh at the girls’ antics in the swimming pool, and their very elaborate game of mermaid. Holt has to throw some plastic cups and bowls in the pool for their pretend mermaid brunch. We videotape Ty eating Anna’s birthday cake with his fist. It’s an absolutely perfect day.

Until it isn’t.

I’m in the middle of a story about one of my recent TV jobs when Marcum interrupts me, nodding his head in the direction of the gate. “Ella.”

Turning around, I’m shocked to see Kristie standing there. She’s dressed in shorts and a tank top and a baggy cardigan. She looks embarrassed to be intruding on our party, but not too embarrassed to turn around and leave. Sheepishly, she puts one foot in front of the other, walking in our direction. We haven’t seen her since her little strip tease at the bar, and you can tell Will’s still not happy about it. He curses underneath his breath.

I push away from the table, but Ry doesn’t let me go too far by myself. He’s walking next to me, with his finger hooked in the back waistband of my shorts.

Kristie picks at her fingernails. “Hi.”

“Hey, Kristie.”

She looks past me to everyone gathered around the table. “Barbeque?”

I study her eyes. They seem clear and focused. I don’t think she’s drunk. “We’re celebrating Anna’s birthday.”

“Oh. I’m sorry for barging in.”

She may be sorry, but she doesn’t make any move to leave.

Ry angles his body so the girls can’t hear him talking above their game of Marco Polo. “Kristie, what are you doing here?”

His tone is harsh, and she takes a step back in shock. Cocking my head, I scold him with my eyes. I try a nicer approach. “Are you okay? Did you need something?”

She reaches out, grabbing both my hands. My spine immediately stiffens and my breath traps inside of my body. I still don’t like people I don’t know touching me. And I don’t really know, Kristie. Not anymore. I didn’t see her for nearly twelve years, and when I did finally come home, I found out she’s a drunk who flashes her tits to the random public. In fact, I’m surprised Phillip didn’t fire her after that stunt. I mean, she is the front-office face for his practice. Not to mention, I think there’s a real possibility that she might have a drug problem.

I can’t have that around Laura or Anna or Ty.

I mean, Ry won’t even let Laura see her biological father for the exact same reason. Well, that and the fact that he’s a felon. A felon who is most likely still doing felonious things, despite his probation.

“I was hoping we could talk for a minute, Ella. Is that okay?”

The look in her eyes is heartbreaking. She looks like a long lost puppy at the pound, just waiting for the right owner to come along and point at her cage —‘I’ll take that one .’

I nod. “Sure.” I wave my hand at the sliding glass door, and she heads inside. I turn to Ry, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

His eyes flare. “Lulu,” he warns.

“It’ll be fine. What are you worried about? That she’ll flash me? That she’ll hit on me? That’s all her destructive behavior consists of.”

“Not funny.”

“Just keep Holt out of the house. You know she’s always had a thing for him.”

Holt’s voice startles me from behind. “You don’t have to worry about that. We all know I don’t mind a woman who’s been around the block, but she’s been to more neighborhoods than a census taker.”

I slap Holt across the chest. “Y’all shut up and wait here.”

I find Kristie waiting inside my bedroom. She’s sitting on the bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. I sit down next to her. “Kristie, is something wrong? Are you okay?”

“I can’t imagine what you must think of me.”

I open my mouth to politely lie, but fortunately, she stops me.

“You don’t have to say anything. I know my past behavior at the bar was unacceptable.” She looks around my room, taking in the décor that hasn’t changed since my mother had it professionally decorated all those years ago. “I miss the way things used to be. With me, you, and Carrie. It was so much simpler when we were younger. I loved coming here. I used to wish y’all were my sisters. I would lie awake at night and think about what my life could have been like… you had a mom.”

I shake my head. “Our lives were far from perfect, Kristie. You’re viewing the past through rose-colored glasses. Our nanny, Janine, was more of a mother figure to us than my mom ever was. You know that.”

She sighs. “Maybe you’re right.”

“I know I’m right.”

She fiddles with the fringe on the pillow. “I know what they all say about me, that I’m a slut who goes home with tons of men.”

“Who cares what anyone says about you. You’re a grown woman. You can go home with whomever you want. My only hope is that you’re smart about it.” I bend my head, catching her eye. “But from what I’ve seen, you’re not being smart about it. The times I’ve seen you at the bar, you’ve been drunk. Too drunk to decide if you really wanna hop in bed with someone. Plus, you have your professional reputation to think about. You see a lot of patients at the practice.”

She narrows her eyes. “Crutch sleeps with women all the time. From what I hear, his reputation is nearly as big as his dick. Have you given him this same speech?”

Excuse me? For someone who wanted to talk to me, she’s rolling in here uninvited and being a bitch.

Anger vibrates so deep in my body that it rattles my teeth. “I am well aware of his reputation, thank you. And that is something we’ll work through together. Our relationship is far more complicated than you know. If you want to have some tit-for-tat comparison of the indiscretions you and he have both experienced over the past decade, you need to find somewhere else to do it. And someone else to do it with. Because I won’t listen to it.”

Her eyes well up with tears. “I’m sorry, Ella. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m glad things seem to be working out for the two of you. You deserve to be happy.”

“And you deserve that too.”

She wipes her runny nose. “I got into a fight with my dad.”

“About what?” I ask.

“I told him that I wanted to move out.”

“And he didn’t take the news well?”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s putting it mildly.”

“Kristie, you’re thirty-two years old. You don’t need permission from your father to move out and start your own life. It’s definitely time.” I bite my lip in thought. “It might be just what he needs too. He’s not had any long-term relationships since your mom passed away. I think y’all’s dependency on one another has become a burden instead of a benefit.”

She nods, but doesn’t say anything.

“I have to meet with Dad’s lawyers and financial advisors next week to close out the estate. We’re meeting in the boardroom at the office. Your dad will be there. I could speak to him, if you’d like?”

“Really? You’d do that?”

“Sure.” I stand up.

She nibbles on her bottom lip. “Dad’s wanting to buy out Robert’s share of the medical practice and building.”

It’s true. The lawyers presented me with Phillip’s offer a while ago. It’s completely generous. More than generous, actually. I just don’t know if giving one person so much control is the wisest decision. The general surgeon they temporarily brought in to take Dad’s place has made an offer as well. It’s not as lucrative, but she seems to love what she does, and she seems to really care about her patients. I’ve done some digging on her, and from what I can find, she’s honest and sincere. She’s got two children—one in middle school and one in elementary school.

“Yeah. He does.”

“Are you gonna sell to him?”

I furrow my brow. I can’t decide if she sounds worried or hopeful. “No decisions have been made yet. I’ve got to do what I think is best for the practice in the long run.” I walk Kristie through the house.

“I’ll go out this door so I don’t interrupt the party,” Kristie says.

She’s probably fishing for an invitation to stay, but I don’t give her one.

She leans in for a hug, but stops when she sees me take a small step backward. “Sorry, I forget you don’t like to be hugged.” Smiling, she closes the door behind her.

But I do. I love to be hugged—only by everyone sitting on my back patio right now.