Wild Bride (9 page)

He enjoyed the time he’d spent with her during the day, but the time they spent at night in bed was the best. He nodded and picked up his menu again just as Jamella returned with Maggie.

“I’d better get back to it.” She sighed and handed him his daughter, but not before placing several kisses on her cheek. “Now, it’n about time you two had a night out.” She frowned down at them. “After all, if’n you’re only goin’ to be in town for another week or so.” She shook her head. “Two weeks here, two gone.” She turned to Alex who was walking towards them to get their order. “Girl, where did you say dat man of yours took you last time?”

Alex stopped and looked at Jamella. “Where? Oh, Antonio’s Bistro. Some of the best Italian food in Texas. It’s just past the mall, can’t miss it.”

Billy wondered if his thoughts were written somewhere on his face. Then Jamella smiled. “If’n you need a baby sitter…” She smiled, then laughed when Maggie tugged on Billy’s face and took all his attention for the next few minutes as he tried to order his breakfast.

S
avannah tried not to let her anger show during the rest of breakfast. She pasted on one of her “everything’s fine” smiles even though she was boiling on the inside.

How dare Billy embarrass her like that. Especially at Mama’s. It had only been a few months since the sheriff had hinted that Jamella would allow her back into the place. And now Billy was making a big scene for everyone to hear.

He couldn’t believe he’d blurted that out about marriage, and she’d stewed all through breakfast. Now, as they walked back towards the house, she remained silent and wished more than anything that she was back at home so she could lock herself in her room for the rest of the day instead of having the blow up she knew was building.

When they walked in the door, she grabbed up Maggie, who looked more tired than she usually looked after their morning walks. It was probably all the excitement at the diner that had her daughter nodding off as she laid her in her crib.

She desperately wished for a reason to stay in her daughter’s room, but she knew that she needed the sleep. Shutting the door quietly, she walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

After filling up a glass, she turned and bumped into something solid, spilling the water all over her workout shirt.

“Sorry.” Billy chuckled and reached for a hand towel. When he started brushing it down her shirt, she yanked it from him and walked over to the sink to wipe her shirt herself.

Even though her back was to him, she could tell that he knew she wasn’t pleased with him.

“I’m sorry about the water. I didn’t know you were going to turn around,” he said, and she could hear that he was right behind her.

She gritted her teeth and turned on him. “This place it too small for the three of us. I mean, every time I turn around…” She motioned towards him as he stood two feet away from her. She closed her eyes in frustration.

He stepped back a few feet until his shoulders hit the door frame. He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her. “I’m sorry,” he said again.

“Stop saying that.” It came out as a scream. She marched to the front room, knowing it was the farthest they could get from Maggie’s room. She wasn’t surprised when she turned around to see Billy standing in the doorway watching her.

She growled and threw up her hands. “I need some time to myself. How am I supposed to get that in such a small place.” She felt the room closing in on her and put her hand on the back of the sofa to steady herself.

“Savvy—”

“Don’t Savvy me,” she said loudly. “You just proposed to me at Mama’s!” She felt her breath hitch. “At Mama’s!” she screamed.

He shook his head. “I—” She held up her hand to stop him.

“Don’t! I don’t want to hear it.”

He started to walk towards her with his hands out, but she quickly picked up the little glass bowl she’d always set her keys in and tossed it at his head. He easily ducked, and when it shattered against the back wall of the room, she heard Maggie start to cry.

She groaned and threw up her hands. Then she turned and grabbed her jacket again and yelled over her shoulder as she walked out. “I’m going out for a walk.”

She slammed the front door behind her, took a deep breath, and rested her head back against the door. She heard a noise and opened her eyes. She was horrified to see three people standing on the sidewalk in front of her house.

Mr. and Mrs. Cole stood talking to Sheriff Miller, who quickly started walking her way.

She groaned and wished she could go back inside, but she didn’t want to face Billy just yet.

Grinding her back teeth, she straightened her shoulders and started marching down the sidewalk.

“Everything okay?” The sheriff looked between her and the house.

“Everything’s just fine,” she said quickly and continued to walk away.

“Well, it’s just…” The sheriff kept up with her. When she looked, Mr. and Mrs. Cole were glancing at her from their driveway, concern in their eyes. “I was talking to Phil and Alice”—he nodded to her neighbors—“when we heard yelling and a crash.”

She stopped and turned to him. “Nothing but a simple fight,” she blurted out. What was she doing? She would have never admitted anything like that before. Private lives stayed private. She pushed her shoulders back further and turned on her heels. “Now, if everyone is done butting their noses into my personal life, I’m going for a long walk.” She turned and headed away from the diner and the little green house as quickly as she could.

Fueled on anger, hurt, and embarrassment, her feet carried her as far as the outskirts of town. She turned down the old highway and stopped on the old rickety bridge that should have been torn down a dozen or so years back. It still looked strong, but most of its boards were too fragile to support a vehicle.

She’d come here a million times over the years. Even more recently for her visits with Tracy.

Sitting down on the side of the bridge, she let her legs hang over the edge as she tossed pebbles from the bridge into the calm water below her.

She knew she’d been childish with Billy. Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead on the rusted steel girder, much like Tracy always did.

The heat of the day had snuck up on her, and she felt sweat dripping down her back. Her breasts ached and she knew she was quickly approaching feeding time for Maggie. Soon, no matter what she did, they would become terribly painful and she would need her daughter. But she continued to sit on the bridge, looking over the edge at the water.

She was Savannah Douglas. She’d had so many plans for her life. She was going to find the richest man in Texas and marry him. He’d fly her in a private jet to Italy or Paris and propose to her at a fancy restaurant, getting down on his knee in the most expensive suit his money would buy, with the largest, most expensive ring he could find held out for her approval.

Rolling her shoulders, she looked up when she heard a bird chirp on a tree branch a few feet away from the calm shore of the water. It was bright red and it danced around next to a rather dull looking brown bird with a red beak. She watched the dance as the male cardinal chirped and jumped to prove his worthiness for the female. Laughing out loud, she watched the pair of birds fly off into the brush together.

“At least he danced for you,” she called out to the happy pair.

“What’s the matter? Didn’t that son of mine show you a good time?”

She jumped and gasped as her hand flew to her chest. She felt her fingers tingle from fear as Billy Jackson Sr. walked towards her. The old wood boards creaked under his weight.

The last time she’d seen him, she’d still been in school. It was the week before he’d driven into Houston and gotten in a bar fight that had put him away for life, or so she’d thought.

Shaking her head, she blinked a few times. She must be imagining him. After all, he’d gotten life in prison. Right?

Then she heard him laugh. “No, sweetie pie, it’s really me.” He smiled and, for a moment, she could see Billy. Then his grin turned into something darker. She quickly got up and took a few steps back, glancing around her. She wished she hadn’t taken a walk to some place so remote.

“What do you want?” She thought about running.

He laughed. “Oh, sweet thing, there’s a lot that I want.” He smiled again and stopped just a few feet away from her. His eyes traveled up and down her and, for the first time since losing all the baby weight, she wished she weighed more so she didn’t feel him undressing her with his eyes. Her stomach started to roll.

She could see a lot of Billy in his looks—his dark hair, dark eyes, strong jaw—but the evil lying underneath his skin caused her to shiver with fear. She had always felt that way around him. She could always spot the creeps in a room, probably because of her experience with her uncle.

She straightened her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Why are you here?” She took a step back and hated herself for the weakness.

He noticed her move and smiled. “Why, to see my grandchild.”

“She’s not here.” She looked around and motioned with her hands. “Why did you follow me here?”

He chuckled. “I always knew you were a smart one. Like your old man.” He tilted his worn straw hat back on his head and sighed. “I figured you could help your dear ol’ father-in-law out, seeing as I’ve just gotten out of the slammer for good behavior.” He chuckled again.

“What do you want?” she said again, grinding her back teeth again.

“Money. Plain and simple. Cash. I figured ten thousand ought to hold me over for a while.” He winked at her.

She gasped. “You’re joking?”

He shook his head and his smile fell away. “I know what your family is worth.” Then his smile was back. “Besides, it would keep me too busy to show up to that pretty little green house of yours someday, letting nothing stop me from seeing my grandbaby.”

His meaning was clear and she felt all her blood go cold. “I…” Her mouth gone dry. “I don’t have my checkbook on me.”

He laughed. “Well, I guess that’s a good thing. I haven’t opened up a checking account to cash a check just yet.” He winked at her again. “I did say cash.”

She nodded. “I…” She couldn’t think.

“Well, that’s all right, I understand.” He dusted off his elbows from where he was leaning back against the old bridge. “I figured you would have to go to the bank. I’ll be in town for another day. Why don’t we just meet here again tomorrow.” He looked down at his watch and nodded. “Same time?”

She glanced down at her watch and saw that it was a quarter past ten.

Before she could think it through, she nodded. She was relieved when he nodded and tipped his hat at her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He started walking away, then turned around and said over his shoulder, “And Savannah, don’t be late.” His eyes were mean and she felt herself shiver in the heat of the day.

She waited until he hopped back into the old truck at the other end of the bridge—how hadn’t she heard it arrive earlier?—before she started walking quickly back towards home.

By the time she arrived, it was ten past eleven. She was covered in sweat and was thankful that Billy was in Maggie’s room. She could hear him talking to their daughter softly as he read her a book.

She walked into the bathroom, locked the door behind her, and stripped off her sweaty clothes. Setting the shower to cold, she stepped in and let the water cool her down so she could clear her mind.

Billy heard Savannah walk back into the house, but since he’d just gotten Maggie to finally settle down, he didn’t move. It had taken him a half hour after Savannah left—and a crash course in making a bottle—to get her to settle down. It was obvious that she was tired, but she’d fussed at him until he’d found a book about the frog princess and started reading. Now, he kept reading to his daughter in a low voice until he felt her little head resting against his chest, and he was sure that she’d fallen to sleep. When he moved to lay her down, however, she jolted back up and looked at him. Then to his horror, she started screaming again.

“It’s okay; Daddy’s going to go talk to Mommy.” He laid her down and stuck her little lip out in a pout. “No, no.” He started to reach for her. “Don’t cry.”

He took another step towards her and heard the bedroom door open.

“If you constantly pick her up, she’ll become spoiled,” Savannah said from the doorway. She looked fresh in a pair of faded jeans and a clean white button up shirt. Her hair was still wet and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. He’d seen her without makeup before, but now she had a light tan and her skin glowed, making her more attractive.

“What?” He turned all the way towards her.

She leaned against the door and frowned at him. Earlier, he hadn’t known what had set her off. Then she’d mentioned the proposal and he’d finally caught up with her. Now, he felt like a complete fool for mentioning marriage in the diner.

“If you always pick her up when she’s crying, she’ll become spoiled and always cry to get what she wants.” She turned and started to walk out of the room. He followed behind her and stood just inside Maggie’s door, watching his daughter throw a bigger fit than Savannah had earlier.

“Yeah, but…” He turned towards Savannah, who walked over to him and shut the door, closing out his daughter’s screams.