At first, I thought I had the wrong house, but as I made my way to the kitchen, voices sounded out of one of the bedrooms.
“Are you sure?” a voice asked, and it was a voice I’d know anywhere. Coop was here already.
“Of course, I’m sure! I’m four weeks late. We’re having a baby.”
I carried on walking and went into the bathroom downstairs. I stared at myself in the mirror and chanted Paris at my reflection for a moment before walking out and into the kitchen. The reason for the house being vacant became evident as I made my way to the back porch and took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.
As I sipped at the champagne I glanced around and saw Cate on the dance floor with Nixon. She smiled as I waved over at her and her eyes darted behind me for a second before coming back to rest on me. Coop and Jan must have decided to join the party. I moved across the lawn towards friends of my mom’s and family that I didn’t know.
My mom reached me and hugged me.
“Bailey, you look beautiful.”
Her face shone with happiness as she watched me, and I smiled at her with genuine affection before moving on to Shawn. He leaned over kissing my cheek as he took the envelope and present from me, setting them on the table before turning and whispering in my ear.
“Bailey, you didn’t need to make such an effort for me.”
In other words, I thought, Bailey, you look like a slut, you shouldn’t have come dressed like that. I refrained from rolling my eyes with difficulty and managed to wish him a happy birthday while sounding sincere.
As I moved to Cate a hand grabbed me around the waist and twirled me around. I laughed and turned to see Nixon standing in front of me, grinning down at me.
“Bailey, you are beautiful,” he said as he kissed my cheek and I smirked at him.
“But don’t you think I’m a little overdressed?”
I rolled my eyes and he burst out laughing.
“Shawn dishing out the compliments again?” he asked in a low voice.
I nodded, smiling as he walked me over to Cate. She pulled me in for a hug and I realized I couldn’t remember the last time I saw my aunt. She grinned from her seat and I glanced down seeing she was sporting a cast on her foot.
“What happened to you?” I asked her in concern, and she rolled her eyes.
“Damn kids,” she spat out, then laughed as she took me in. “Come sit by me, Bailey. Tell me what’s going on with you.”
She grabbed another few champagnes, and we spoke for a little while as I filled her in on life in the gallery, how Sean-Paul had been banned from ordering since we had enough coffee to stock a small country, and I told her I was going to Paris during the week.
“Oh Paris, I adore Paris. We went there on our honeymoon.”
She beamed at me and I beamed back, speaking without thinking or checking who was in the vicinity.
“Yeah, I love Paris too. It’s so vibrant and alive. We’re thinking about opening a gallery there and I’m seriously considering moving over there full-time.”
She smiled viciously at me and I glanced over my shoulder in time to see Coop storming away from the party.
“He’s engaged?” she asked quietly as I watched his retreating form and I nodded saying nothing.
“You okay?” she probed, and I shook my head.
“No. I’m really not. My grandma passed away and my dad only called me today after her funeral to tell me.”
She pulled me into her arms as my eyes began stinging again, but I shrugged again, and she let go.
“He’s such a shit. I hope she left you everything.”
I nodded and spoke without thinking again, “She did,” and then I laughed because Cate could do that to me. She could get me to open up without even trying, but my mom could close me down just as easily.
As the night progressed, I started to watch what I was doing. I didn’t want to have to stay overnight in the house that had more bad memories for me than good, and shortly before midnight, I strolled to the tiny gazebo on the water’s edge. I sat down, dangling my toes off the end of the deck, but hidden by the chairs and for the first time the whole night I was completely relaxed.
“Hey,” Coop spoke overhead, and I glanced up to see him standing with a bottle of champagne. I nodded up at him, then turned back to the lake, watching the breeze ruffle the surface of the water.
“Can I join you?” he asked in a quiet voice and I answered, “Can I stop you?” in just as quiet a voice.
He laughed and sat down pouring the fizz into the flutes and passing me one.
“Bails, are you serious about moving to Paris?”
I turned with a small smile on my face.
“Sure, I am, there’s nothing for me here anymore.”
His nod and quiet acceptance of my words drove another stake through my heart. It was too dark for me to make out his expression, so I turned to gaze over the water again.
“I love sitting here,” I muttered, forgetting for a moment he was there as I rested my head on the wooden frame.
He didn’t speak for a moment and then his fingers found mine. He ran his hand over mine and my heart raced at the energy racing through me.
“It’s getting late,” I muttered, “I need to get going. See you at ten tomorrow.”
He nodded at me and whispered something, but I was sure I heard him wrong.
“Stay with me,” was what I thought I’d heard, but when I asked him what he’d said, he just smiled and said, “See you tomorrow.”
I waved and took off up the path watching as Jan paced around the kitchen. I didn’t want to see her, so I took off around the house, walking along the garden path. A faint rattling sound made me run back into the lawn and I collided with Coop almost at the back door. His arms went around my waist, and he pulled me into his arms.
“Why do you feel like home?” he murmured against my skin, but I didn’t answer as the rattling sound grew.
My spine stiffened and Coop stepped away from me. He took in my terrified expression and I mouthed, “Rattler,” at him. He nodded and grabbed my hand leading me into the kitchen. Jan stopped pacing, with her arms wide as she took us in. I didn’t care, I just wanted to go home.
“Dad,” Coop called across the kitchen, but Shawn didn’t answer him.
He was staring at something in his hand and his hand was shaking. I couldn’t tell if it was rage or emotion, but I had a suspicion about what it was, a suspicion that was confirmed a moment later as he lifted his eyes and rushed at me.
“You, you did this?” I stared at him in shock as he came towards me.
“Your mom’s gone to bed with a migraine, you ungrateful little slut, get out of my house, and don’t darken our doorway again.”
He pushed me towards the front door, and I left the house feeling numb and more than a little scared to be outside. I wanted to get in my car and take off, but it was pitch black, and what if I stood on the rattler? I stood against the doorway, quaking in fear as I contemplated getting from the door of the house to my car.
The door began to open, and I slipped a little before regaining my balance. Coop was there helping me, but I shrugged him off and walked towards the path, but something moved across the path and I screamed leaping into his arms.
“Bailey, it was just a mouse.” My heart hammered and my palms were sweating against his blue dress shirt.