“Oh my God,” I gasp, covering my mouth with both hands as I feel my knees weakening. “I cannot believe this shit.” Aubry and Aimee steady me to keep me from falling while Sean excuses himself and leaves.
“I got a call from some guy earlier today about this plot of land. He also mailed me a letter a couple of months ago. I’ve never even been to this plot,” I say in a shrill tone. “I inherited the land from my dead aunt. I don’t know how he got my information, but first the calling, then the letter, and now he breaks into my house!” I’m shouting and shaking vigorously by the time I finish my explanation.
Aubry holds me tighter while Aimee runs her fingers through my hair. Detective Ginsburg leaves me his information and asks me to call him if I hear from the guy again. He puts the paper in a Ziplock to test for fingerprints. He asks me a million questions, including what the name O’Brian means to me. I assure him that I’ve never heard it before. He looks like he’s hesitant to believe me, but tells me that he will let me know if he hears anything back from the lab regarding the paper. He mentions something to Officer Martinez about being closer to cracking the O’Brian’s, but I’m not sure what that means.
After replaying what happened again, Aubry and Aimee settle down to watch a movie. They ask me to join them, but I’m exhausted. They rented The Notebook. I warn Aimee, who has never seen it—really?—that she better be prepared to do the ugly cry in front of Aubry. They both laugh at me, but I’m dead serious. You can’t watch that movie without doing the ugly cry.
I lock myself in my room and call Cole again. He picks up after four rings.
“Hello?” he answers, sounding like he just ran a marathon. My stomach drops at the memory of the last time this happened.
“Hey, bad time?” I ask, biting my lip to brace myself even though I know my Cole, and I trust him.
“No, no, I was downstairs,” he says, catching his breath. “I heard my phone, and I ran up to get it. I didn’t want to miss your call.”
I smile. “Why is it that you have such a big house for yourself again?”
I remember he gave me a stupid answer the first time I went there, but I can’t remember what it was.
“‘Cause I thought it’d be a nice place to raise our babies,” he replies.
I snort with laughter. “Oh, that’s right,” I say with an eye roll. “I forgot that was the excuse you used the last time I asked.”
“I don’t know why you thought it was so funny when I told you that,” he protests.
“Umm...maybe because you said it in front of your girlfriend?”
He chuckles. “That’s right. Do you remember what you said after you were done laughing?”
I think about it for a second. “Not really.”
“You said that you didn’t want to have babies in a two-story house.”
“Oh yeah, I did say that. Well, that was actually true.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I put it on the market the week after you left. Unfortunately for me, the market had dropped by then, so I had to un-list it and keep it.”
“You put it on the market because I said I didn’t want to have kids in a two-story house?” I shriek and then start laughing. He waits until I’m done giggling before he continues.
He exhales loudly. “Blake, when are you going to realize that everything I’ve done I’ve done for you?”
“Someday, Mr. Murphy,” I smirk.
He groans. “It sounds so hot when you call me that.”
“You say that about everything,” I laugh.
“Yeah, because everything about you is so hot.”
I try to stifle a yawn. “I’m going to try to go to sleep. Is it okay if we pick up the conversation of our beautiful future children and where we’ll be living with them tomorrow?”
“Damn, babe, now you’re really turning me on,” he says in a low tone, making my body heat up. “Hearing you talk about our future children is hot. Go to sleep, baby. I love you. Call me if you can’t sleep or if you have any nightmares.”
“I will. Good night. Dream of me,” I say and blow a loud kiss into the phone.
He groans and I smile ending the call.
Chapter 13
Present
“Daddy!” I shriek as I run toward him out of breath from laughing so hard.
Nathan has been chasing me through the open plain. We’re playing tag, and Nathan’s it. Daddy looks up and the crinkled lines on his forehead disappear when he sees me running to him. He smiles and opens his arms, so I can jump into them. In his embrace, he starts tickling me, making me laugh harder. He stops when I tell him I have to use the potty. Daddy gets up and tells Grandpa we’ll be right back. Grandpa has black and gray hair, and his eyes are gray, like mine and Mommy’s. I like that. Grandpa pats my head like a puppy when I pass him and tells Daddy that time is running out.