Jacey’s in Hadley’s room with her, packing a bag while I purchase plane tickets for them all. As I scan through the air packages and rates, I decide to buy out first class so that it’s just the girls and security occupying that portion of the plane. It’ll be easier to secure them that way than if they’re sporadically separated in the general seating area.
Once that’s done, I send a mass text message out to the girls and Lucky so that he can divide up the men. I would send them all if Jacey was traveling with them, but with her staying here with me, I need her to be watched over as well. As soon as that mission is accomplished, a light knocking on the door draws my attention. Shutting down my laptop, I walk over and peek through the peephole and a wide grin surfaces on my face as I see who it is that’s standing on the other side.
Ripping the door open, I see the same look I’m sporting mirroring my friend’s face. “Dash Carmichael, why I do declare, what have I done right to earn your visit?”
“What about me standing on Jacey’s front porch makes you think I’m here to admire that pretty face of yours?” he asks me as he sends a flirtatious wink in my direction.
“I’m a taken man, Dash. Don’t come here with any intentions to steal me away from my woman,” I tease him. This is the same song and dance we perform each and every time we’re in each other’s company for the first time in an expanded length between visits.
“You have a mighty fine ass there, Mr. Rayne, but that bushy beard you’re sporting isn’t my cup of tea, thank you very much,” he says as he swings open the screen door. “Now, stop stalling and let me in to see my girl.”
“Ah, I see how it is. I’m just the eye candy that can easily be wrapped back up until the next time you need me. My heart just shattered in my chest.” I place my palm over my chest and insert a dramatic pout by lowering my bottom lip.
“We’ll let you stay unwrapped for this visit,” he jests back with a salacious grin marring his face. As he makes his way through the door jamb, I reach out and pull him in for a brotherly hug.
“It’s been too long, Dash. What are you doing here?” I ask but am interrupted from finishing what I was about to say when I hear the squeals of my love bug, as she takes in our visiting guest.
“Mr. Dash!” she hollers out as she wobbly runs on her toddling feet, and rushes who I presume, is one of her favorite people. Can’t say that I blame her—you can’t meet Dash and not come out of that encounter calling him family. He loves everyone unless you mess with someone he considers his.
She’s not been awake for long, and is usually a clumsy one, until she’s been wide awake for a period of time. She’s not a morning person I’ve discovered. She usually doesn’t perk up until after she’s had her breakfast, has been cleaned up and her teeth have been brushed. It’s a routine she knows well, so our early visitor is a treat that has the capability of ripping it into shreds.
“No, it can’t be,” Dash dramatically states as he gives Hadley a wide-eyed stare. “Is my little angel growing up? Surely, you haven’t gotten this big since I’ve seen you last. You’re making this man feel old,” he declares as a smirk takes hold as Hads furiously nods her head up and down.
“It’s me, it’s me,” she vows as he leans down and lifts her up into his arms. “Momma’s!” Hadley yells, bursting mine and Dash’s eardrums in the process.
“What, what is it?” Jacey comes rushing into the room. She has a panicked look on her face and I know her mind went to something being wrong. She comes to a screeching halt when she notices Dash with a squirming child in his arms. Our girl, never one to slow down when she deems something exciting.
“Dash came to sees us, Mommy!” Hadley anxiously sings out.
“I see, I see,” Jacey singsongs back in response.
I narrow my eyes at her in suspicion. She appears happy to see him but isn’t sporting the look of shock and surprise that I had when I saw him standing at the front door. She turns around and looks at me, wearing a look of innocence as she shrugs her shoulders.
Uh-huh.
Some people may fall for that innocent act she’s protraying, but I’ve known her throughout life and know that she’s full of shit right now.
Jacey
Hiding the shock of finding Dash in our home is harder than I thought it’d be. He was supposed to be meeting me at my office so that we could work on my gown before surprising Rayne. I guess the cat is out of the bag, but I don’t want to admit to my man that I knew one of his closest friends was coming to see us for an extended period of time.
I also forgot about his impending arrival with everything that happened yesterday. I really thought it’d be a few days before he made his way here, anyway. But Dash has always been a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants type of guy, making work harder for his personal assistant and security detail. But over the years, they’ve learned to compensate and prepare to face the unknown as the sun rises each morning.
I don’t think any of us would have him any other way. We most certainly wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves if he suddenly started living life based on his calendar’s agenda.
Once everyone has settled down, I go and make everyone a hearty breakfast and make the adults a cup of coffee. Hadley gets orange juice in a mug. I know how everyone takes it so I don’t need to ask what all they want in it. Dash and Rayne are entertaining Hadley so that I can peacefully work without her under foot. As the hash browns are frying, the smell suddenly causes a wave of nausea to roll through my stomach. Leaning over the sink, I breathe in deeply and hold it a few seconds and then release it in a heavy exhale. I do this several times before my stomach settles. I shake it off and continue along making the eggs.
Stress does a number on me so I’m not surprised one bit that I felt a little ill. It most likely won’t be the last time I feel this until we have everything wrapped up and life gets back to normal.
Breakfast is consumed with gusto, which seems to be the way my family eats, and before we know it, the girls are here to grab Hadley. I had wanted to see them off to the airport, but Rayne thought it’d be best not to have us all in one place in case Jameson decided to get bolder than simply breaking and entering into our abode.
They’re all upset that they don’t get to visit with Dash, but they’ll miss their flight if they dillydally. With a promise from him to stick around for a while so that he can visit with them upon their return, they make a quick departure. Tears stream down my face as I watch them drive away. I’ve never spent more than a couple of nights away from my daughter, and that’s been here recently with the arrival of her aunts and father in her life. This is a hard pill for me to swallow. I want to have her with me so I know she’s safeguarded and can have my eyes on her at all times.
But, Rayne’s right, though I’ll never admit that to him. She needs to be far away from here until this whole scene plays out. Plus, it’s easier to have her with our parents at their place than have us all here in town. Where we were born and raised, everyone knows everyone, and if there is a stranger in town, it makes its way through the phone’s grapevine quickly. A foreign car can’t so much as make its way through the streets of town without everyone having the knowledge that there’s a stranger in town. Hadley is safer right now in that close-knit environment than being here.