Todd stood outside on the lawn. He had stripped his shoes and was walking around on the lush grass. Blair waved at him as she entered one of the guesthouses that were on the other side of the tennis courts. The realtor had wanted to make sure they saw everything this trip, but Todd had already decided to buy the place. He let Blair take the rest of the tour, telling her he needed some alone time. She had been reluctant but then she followed the realtor. He smiled a slight smile and waved back at her, then plopped down on the grass pulling his knees up to his chest.
He had wanted this house because of the windows and the yard. A yard where he would be able to get out and play with the boys. He laid back on the grass in the warm summer sun and closed his eyes. He was walking through the park again and there were the two boys wrestling. He recalled his joy when he realized he was looking at his son. The images were becoming less clear in his mind, but he would never forget his son’s smile when he said, “Hi.” Todd’s heart ached because he couldn’t be with his first son until later. Bitsy, his mother had been right. He wasn’t ready to leave Blair and the kids. He rested an arm across his eyes. There has to be a way I can get through to you, Jack. There just has to be. I’m not going to lose you, too. The phone in his pocket went off and he sat up to look at it. It was the call he had been waiting for. “Thanks for getting back to me. I need to see you.”
Kevin looked at his calendar. “I can fit you in this afternoon. I had a cancellation, will that work for you?”
Todd saw Blair exiting the guest house and heading toward him. “Yeah, that will work. So when?”
“Three o’clock. How are the headaches? I spoke with Dr. Webber yesterday. He told me you refused surgery.”
“They’re nothing I can’t handle. But Irene made another appearance, that’s why I need to talk to you. Look, Blair’s coming, I’ll see you later.” He put the phone away, grabbed his shoes and socks, and rose to meet Blair and the realtor. Todd saw the realtor’s disdainful look when she took in his bare feet. He stared at her pointedly until her gaze faltered and fell. Her cheeks turned red as she realized she had just insulted a lucrative client.
Blair was oblivious to the exchange and gushed. “Todd, the guesthouses are terrific. One of them will make a perfect home for Momma.”
Todd turned his gaze on Blair and smiled. “That’s great. So, I guess that means you want the place?”
“It’s perfect. You want it too, don’t you?” Blair noticed the shoes and grinned. “Testing out the yard I see.”
“Yeah well, only the softest grass for my family. Okay, Ms. Crawfish, what will get me this place.”
The realtor flushed again at his misnaming. “It’s Crawford, The asking price for the estate is six million five hundred thousand.”
“That’s not what I asked. Tell them I’ll do six million and the offer is on the table for one hour.” Todd snagged Blair’s hand and headed down the hill to the lakeside dock.
Blair was a little scared. The last time Todd had headed for the dock he hadn’t been thinking clearly. She didn’t know what to expect. “Todd, why did you bring me down here?”
“I don’t know, I just wanted to get away from Crawfish. I figured she could make her call and we could have some privacy. Besides, it’s beautiful here and you standing next to me makes it more so. The last time we were here, I was sick. I know I wasn’t always rational and I scared you. I want to give you a reason not to be scared. A while back you asked me to marry you and if I remember correctly, I said yes.” He sat Blair down on the bench and joined her, then he reached into his jacket and removed something. “This has been burning a hole in my pocket since early this morning when it was delivered. He revealed a ring box and opened it. Inside was a large heart-shaped ruby surrounded by four diamonds. “I’ve given you diamonds and emeralds over the years, but this time, I give you my heart.” He took the ring out and held out his hand.
Blair was overwhelmed. She lifted her left hand and Todd slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly and was exquisite. “Oh Todd, it’s beautiful.” She couldn’t say anything else, her voice was choked by the emotions filling her. So don’t say it, Blair, show him. She leaned over and kissed him, melting closer as his arms enfolded her.
****
Alison reached the garage and laundry level. She rolled the cart out and took it over to where she had parked her car. Reaching into the basket, She lifted Sam out and placed him in the backseat of her car, and buckled him in. “Now remember, not a sound. I don’t want to have to go back up and take care of your grandmother. I’ll only be a minute and then we’re out of here.”
She locked him in and opened the trunk where she stripped off the latex gloves she had been wearing. She dropped the chloroform bottle and duct tape in with the gloves and closed down the trunk. Then she returned the cart to the laundry room. After wiping down the handle, she left the room. She entered the car and saw Sam was still sitting quietly. “There now, I knew you could follow directions. Your Uncle Miles is so anxious to see you.” She saw Sam’s eyes widen in surprise. “You thought I was talking about your Uncle Todd. He’s nothing but scum. Your Uncle Miles is your mother’s brother. He’s your real family. You belong with him, not Blair.”
She removed the glasses she was wearing for disguise and let her hair out of its ponytail. Checking all the mirrors, and seeing no one around, Alison pulled out of the garage and headed for Miles’ home. Everything had worked like a charm. No one knew who she was. Even when they found out the maid took Sam, they wouldn’t find her because she didn’t really exist.
****
The place was his, and soon it would be a home for Blair, the boys, and Addie as well. Todd stood looking at the house and thinking of the holidays to come. In his heart, he wanted nothing more than to have all of his family surrounding him, and deep down that meant he had to find a way to mend things with Viki. First things first, he had to rid himself of Irene and get his head back on straight, if that was possible. Has it ever been straight, Todd? Admit it, you’ve been screwed up your whole life.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Blair snagged Todd’s elbow.
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Just a penny?”
“Hey, it’s not like you need the money. What’s on your mind? You seemed a million miles away.”
“Not that far. I’ve got you, Sam, Starr, and yes, even Addie. With your help, I think I can get through to Jack, but strangely, I miss Viki. Can you believe that? I never meant to ever hurt her again after the whole DID debacle, but I did. Now I don’t know how to make it right with her?”
“Viki’s never been one to hold onto her anger for long. I’m pretty sure she’ll come around. She was pretty upset when you were diagnosed with PTSD. I think she felt that she let you down too. Like Jack, you just need to give her time.” She tucked her arm through his. “We’ve had a busy morning and it’s after lunch. Why don’t we get something to eat and then we’ll get Sam, Jack, and Addie and bring them out here to see the place.”
“Lunch sounds good, but then I have an appointment. We probably should put off the tour until tomorrow. While I go to my appointment, I was kind of hoping you’d check on Ms. Coe’s progress at Crimson, and then I’d meet you to talk to the boys. Jack isn’t going to be happy about the engagement, but he and Sam need to be told.” Todd laced his fingers with Blair’s for just a moment, then started moving for the Limo. “Come on, let’s eat, I don’t want to be late for my appointment.” He could feel the beginnings of a headache and prayed it was simply because he was hungry.
****
Alison reached into the back seat. “Okay, we’re here. There’s no place to run, so just do as I say and all will be alright. Now, hold still while I take the tape off your mouth.” She grabbed the tape and pulled it quickly.
Sam’s eyes teared up, but he was finally able to talk. “You’re a bad lady. You hurt my grandma. Just you wait, my mom and Uncle Todd are going to come and get me, and then you’ll be sorry.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. They have no idea where you are. Listen, fella, your mom has kept you from your true family long enough. Your dad is dead and you should be with real relatives. Miles is your real mother’s brother.” Alison took off the tape around his feet. “It won’t do you any good to try and run away. You’ll just be brought back. Now, we’re going in to meet him. He looks a little scary, but he’s not a bad man. I think you should, at least, give him a chance. Maybe after you and he talk, you’ll understand.”
Sam looked up at the imposing house in front of him. It reminded him a little of the haunted house in Disney World. There was even a scary-looking guy standing out front. Alison pushed him forward and the man opened the door. Sam walked into the entrance and saw a staircase. There was a man standing at the top in the shadows. He stopped, afraid to go any farther. The man began walking down the stairs.
The closer the man had gotten to the bottom of the stairs, the more anxious Sam had gotten. He’s a ghost. This is a ghost house. Sam looked around, he wanted to get away. Something was wrong, it couldn’t be. Then he heard the man’s voice.
“Ah, Alison, thank you for a job well done.” Walker moved to stand in front of his son.
“Welcome home, Sam.”
Sam couldn’t move. His legs felt strange and started to shake, his mouth was wide open in a gasp, his eyes staring into the face of the man before him. He was scared and his voice quivered. “D.. D..addy.... you’re d..dead!”
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