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“She’s crazy about you, you know?” He had a
soft, but serious tone to his voice.

“Who?”

“My mom. I haven’t seen her this happy in a
long time.”

Trucker twirled Julie around before they
started walking down a long hallway. He would point out different
rooms, but all she could do was stare at the walls in the hall.
Which were covered with old world paintings of different scenes.
They were set in modern day settings, but the subjects were
beautiful creatures. They were half human/half monster. She
couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was something about them that
were so familiar. Focusing on the paintings, she never realized
they had gotten to the end of the hall. Trucker opened a door to
what she guessed was Sea’s room. It was decorated like a castle
with all the fairy tale princesses hand painted on the wall. Julie
looked over and saw a bed shaped like a crown. That’s when she saw
a little bobbing head in the bed.

“Princess,” Trucker said with such love and
devotion.

“Trucky,” Sea popped up and took Julie’s
breath away. She was the most beautiful baby Julie had ever seen.
Her hair was the exact color as Trucker’s, but was full of curls.
The curls fell in ringlets around her perfectly shaped round face.
Her complexion was light, it was so smooth and flawless it looked
like a pearl. On her classically radiant face were ruby red lips,
they were so red and picturesque they look like a make-up artist
applied them. Julie noticed her eyes they were a bright vivid blue,
but unlike Trucker’s they glowed. They were his eyes without the
ominous look in them. Trucker was at her crib looking down with a
big grin. He picked Sea up in one big swift motion, and turned
around facing Julie, who was still standing in the doorway.

“What’s wrong?” His face slackened; his eyes
darted in concern.

“She’s beautiful, she looks unreal.” She was
stunned that a child could’ve been that ravishing and been human.
Her feelings had never betrayed her and they were screaming that
family was off. Something deep down told her to run, and fast; but
her heart froze her feet in place.

“Yeah, she’s perfect.”

He strolled over as Julie took in the picture
of exquisiteness that was Sea and Trucker.

“She looks just like you.” Julie stood there
trying to take in their beauty and the oddity of perfection.

“Yeah, but she’s prettier, almost as pretty
as you.” Grabbing her hand, he said, “Come on, it’s time to play.”
He leaned down with a gigantic grin on his face and gave Julie a
quick kiss on the cheek.
Truck, my sweetheart, I know something
is off with you, but I don’t care. Your smile means everything to
me.

She followed him across the hall to the
playroom. It was painted like Sea’s room. One wall was covered with
a painting of Belle and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast.

“That’s my favorite fairy tale too,” Julie
said, pointing over to the painted mural.

With a mischievous grin on his face, he said,
“You’re my beauty.”

“So are you calling yourself the beast?”

“Most definitely,” he answered with a look of
regret.

“I’m glad my prince is the beast.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s the most interesting prince.
I’m tired of the boring and predictable.”

“Baby, stay with me and I promise your life
will never be boring and predictable.” His breath was heavy as he
lowered his face into Julie’s hair and skimmed his hand down her
arm.

“Trucky,” Sea spoke, sweetly and
adoringly.

Julie giggled when she caught Sea biting down
on her lip.

Sweetie, whatever your problem with lip
biting is, get over it. It’s hardwired in me and looks like Sea has
the same condition.
Sea yanked at Trucker’s pants leg. Julie
reached over and traced Trucker’s jaw. The way he was staring down
at Sea with such fondness and tenderness tugged at Julie.

“Sea hungry,” she said.

Trucker had an extra tenderness when it came
to Sea. Julie was used to seeing him standoffish with everyone, but
that was not present with Sea.

“She is, what does my little monster want to
eat?” he asked.

Trucker knelt down and placed his hand in
Sea’s curls and softly caressed them. Julie was transfixed at the
sight of this often-brooding man melting around his little sister.
What was it about him? One minute she swore he was on the verge of
turning into a monster, then the next he was the gentlest of all
knights in shining armor. Julie couldn’t answer that question
herself, but she knew her heart was melting around him too. He was
truly her light and dark knight.

“Lupo,” Sea answered and gave him the
sweetest smile. Julie marveled at the similarity between them. The
only difference was Sea glowed. The look that often kept her up at
night was void from her eyes.

“You want Italian? You want some fettuccine?”
he asked. She bobbed her little head up and down bouncing her curls
everywhere and laughed. “What do I need to hear first?”

“My ticker,” she answered, innocently. She
pointed to her chest then squeezed his nose. He lifted her up and
put his ear to her little chest. The biggest grin shot across his
face. It was a bizarre exchange, but it seemed so natural to them
that it didn’t bother Julie.

“Let’s go.” He kissed Sea’s sweet little
cheeks. Julie looked at his eyes and could still see something,
something that alarmed her. She tried to convince herself that no
one could be a monster with that much love in his heart. Trucker
smiled. “Lupo is the Italian chef at The Chop House here in
Nashville. I know I told you I would take you and you alone one
day.” He reached over, his fingers traced over her ear, and he very
softly tugged at her earlobe. “Hope you don’t care if I bring a
cute little girl along too.”

“I don’t care at all,” Julie said and shook
her head. “I didn’t know there was another Chop House.”

“My dad and Emily’s dad own six of them.”

Emily, again.
Julie had self-doubt
about what kind of relationship Trucker truly had with Emily and if
he would ever be truthful about it.

“Forget about Emily, I only care about you,”
Trucker said as if he could read her mind. He leaned into her, his
lips parted. “Do you have any idea how much I need you? How much I
want you?” he whispered, caressing her chin. The muscles in her
stomach clenched together. She closed her eyes to avoid his
hypnotizing stare. His lips molded into hers. Her heart pounded as
the blood rushed through her veins.

“Trucky kissed you.” Sea pointed at Julie,
busting the bubble they were lost in. Trucker pinched Sea’s cheek
and rained kisses down on her face, making her shake with
laughter.

“Come on, jealous, let’s get mom.”

Chapter 10

“I’m not the kind of guy someone loves. It
will hurt too bad when you leave,” played over and over again in
Julie’s mind as she watched Trucker. His mom had tagged along to
the tremendous delight of Trucker. Instead of eating in a booster
seat or a chair, Sea ate perched on Trucker’s leg. Julie was to his
right, her hand on his knee. Every time she let it slip, he quickly
placed it back with a firm pat of his hand. A man with a truly dark
soul would not find the scenario pleasurable, but that is exactly
how Trucker found it. He went above and beyond to make them happy,
and Julie for the first time in days, started to relax. She had
never felt more at home than she did at that moment. She even
managed to truly belly laugh when Trucker tried to kiss her with a
noodle hanging out of his mouth, after she cracked-up at Sea’s
pitiful attempt to feed him.

“Want to go play?” Trucker whispered in
Julie’s ear. She answered with a fervent nod.

To her surprise, Julie found herself at the
city park after lunch. Somehow when she thought of a weekend with
Trucker, she never imagined them pushing his baby sister on a swing
set. Julie caught herself scrutinizing not Trucker and his family,
but the other people around them. People were enticed by his
family. They moved and adapted themselves around them. He seemed
desensitized by the people. Even his mom, who didn’t have the same
draw herself, seemed not to notice. She wondered why she was the
only one who noted those little idiosyncrasies. Julie observed as
Trucker pushed Sea on the swings. She envisioned Trucker at that
age. He had to have been that beautiful, maybe even more so. She
could begin to understand when he told her that he always got
everything he wanted. How could anybody ever turn that face
down?

“I’m getting a drink,” Trucker said, squeezed
Julie’s side, and head to the nearest Coke machine.

“Juwie,” Julie heard come from Sea’s
enchanting voice. She twisted back around to see Sea motioning for
her. She couldn’t help but want to make that exquisite child happy.
She rushed toward her, tossing her in the air.

“Hey, sunshine,” Julie said as she hugged Sea
to her chest.

“Swing me?” Sea asked.

Julie put her down and ran after her. She
believed nothing could bring her down. The day was perfect in every
way.

Glancing over her shoulder, Julie caught a
glimpse of Trucker who stood against a vending machine watching
her. His mom leaned against the corner of the machine.

“Hey, mom.” Trucker swayed in Ellen’s
direction, but still did not touch her.

“Hey, baby, are you okay?”

That deep-seated moral conscience told Julie
she shouldn’t listen to their conversation, but she couldn’t stop
herself. She not only eavesdropped, but strained to hear them.

“Momma, look at her. She’s everything to me.”
He motioned to Julie then scraped his fingers over his unshaven
face.

That statement struck Julie with such joy.
She blew him a kiss which seemed to surprise Trucker, but it still
lit up his eyes and smile.

“I know, son, but I also know what that
means.”

“I never believed I was capable of true love.
She has shown me I’m capable of anything.” Taking a drink of soda,
Trucker looked out over the sea of people and cringed.

“Sweetheart, you’ve always been full of love.
You’re not your father. Honey, I cringe every time he walks in a
room. My heart sinks when he touches Sea or you. But you’re
different. I’ve never once been scared of you, not even when . . .”
Catherine stopped talking, peered down at her hands and twisted one
finger around another.

“When I’m that deplorable monster,” he
snarled. Throwing his cola can across the breezeway, he started to
walk away. Catherine seized his hand. He snapped his hand back like
he had been scalded and hissed through his teeth.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Catherine pleaded.

What was she apologizing for? Touching
him?

He waved her off as if it was nothing. “No,
biggie, but, mom, I’m not capable of real love.”

“Look at me. You. Can. Love. Look at Julie
and Sea over there. Don’t tell me you don’t feel something for
them.”

Julie’s mind was swirling. She had stopped
swinging Sea and stood there shocked. Her heart couldn’t register
what her mind was screaming. He can love. What man can’t? Oh yes, a
deplorable monster. No, she had to have heard wrong.

“Mom, I’ll follow the plan. I just want to do
it with Julie, not her.”

“Baby, Emily has a say in this too.”

Emily! No, not her! Please, God, make this
all go away.

“No, I won’t agree to it,” he said angrily.
His monstrous voice came to the surface. “I can see myself in . . .
No! That's not it. I can’t see myself without her.”

That statement would normally send Julie’s
heart racing, but the sound and volume of his voice sent her mind
racing instead.

“Calm down. You know your temper.” Catherine
made a soothing, hushing sound.

“Mom, she is so good.” He tried talking in a
consoling voice. “I’ve never seen a human more innocent, purer then
her. She fell asleep in my arms one day. Her innocence radiated
into every pore of my body. I was sitting there holding this angel
in her most vulnerable state, sleeping, and I wanted to protect
her. The physical pain was excruciating as if I was an embracing a
real angel, but at the same time
it
was the greatest pleasure I ever experienced. I don’t understand it
all.”

“I understand you have one thing no one else
like you has. My gift to you was not only the capability to love,
but my precious son, I also gave you a soul.”

A soul, he has a soul. If he has a soul, why
do I suddenly feel soulless?” Julie whispered to herself. Julie
didn’t know what finally cracked her; the fact he had a soul, the
accumulation of everything her eyes had seen, the feelings she so
often felt from him, the idea that love was a foreign concept, or
the fact that Emily was more. She didn’t know, but she not only
cracked; her sanity shattered into a thousand pieces. Her nightmare
was alive and breathing. Trucker was a monster. Everything started
spinning, Julie could feel the ground move under her feet. Falling,
she heard Sea call out her name, felt his hands under her.

“Angel, what happened?” Trucker picked her
up. Immediately, his body temperature tripled, his chest radiated
intense heat, scorching her.

She slapped his chest. “Put me down,
now!”

He went to stroke her face, but she swatted
his hand away. He tenderly lowered her to the ground, studying her
with awe and anguish in his eyes. All she could see was the monster
he was. She whipped around and ran as fast as she could. She was
revolted by the very thought of him. She heard a screaming growl.
Knowing his speed, it was no surprise when he caught her almost
instantly. He pulled her behind a nearby building, out of view from
any prying eyes or ears.

“What happened, Angel?”

“What are you?” she asked almost too
calmly.

“Don’t leave. Come back to the house
and talk to me.”