Lies Beneath the Surface (Buried Secrets #2) (28 page)

“Wanna share secrets?” I ask
her quietly and she nods. “Okay, I’ll go first. I’m terrified of storms, too.” She turns her head to look up at me, a confused look furrowing her tiny eyebrows. “When I was little, I used to climb in my sister’s bed anytime it would storm. She would tell me stories until I fell asleep.”

“
Daddy always lets me sleep with him when it storms. I hope he gets home soon.” Her small voice shakes fearfully as her eyes dart around the pitch black room.

“You can sleep in your daddy’s bed with me tonight, then w
hen he gets home, I’ll move to the couch. So what’s your secret?”

“I don’t like pickles.”

“That’s not much of a secret, sweets.” I laugh, tickling her side. She inhales deeply, plucking at the throw blanket, stewing over whatever hangs on her lip. Judging by her silence and shaky breaths, I’m guessing she’s worried about what she wants to share.

“
Okay, you win,” she huffs. “I’m nervous to be a big sister.” She whispers, her voice cracking with tension.

“I can understand that, Heidi Jo. I’m nervous to become a momma. But we’ll do it together, okay?”

She sighs heavily and the look in her eyes tells me that she’s thinking about what she wants to say next. Just like her daddy, she bottles it up. “Carly Jo, am I bad for bein’ jealous of my little sister already?”

“No, I don’t think so. You
’re used to being an only child and so many things are changing. Change is a very scary thing, sweets. But you’re gonna make a great big sister.”

She lets my words soak
for a minute before speaking again. “I-I just want a momma. It’s not really fair that she gets you for a momma.”

The air escapes my lungs. Instead of panic consuming me like it did th
e first time she ever asked me if I’d be her momma one day, a fulfillment washes over me and my heart swells with joy. I never dreamed that a little girl could touch my heart the way Heidi Jo has. She had an immediate attachment to me once we met and has clung to my side ever since. It’s ironic that the secret Colton hid from me all those years ago, the secret that stripped us of seven years of our life together, is the very little lady who encompasses my heart now. But everything happens for a reason and I couldn’t be more blessed to have Heidi Jo in my life. She is the embodiment of spunk with a sassy attitude that reminds me of myself as a little girl.

“Sweets, I
could never replace your momma. But I’ll always, always be here for you, Heidi Jo. I love you like you are my own little girl.”

She latches her arms around my neck and hugs me as strong as her little arms can squeeze me. “I wan
t you to be my momma, Carly Jo.” She glances down at my belly with her eyes as wide as saucers. “Uhm, what was that?” She asks sitting back on her heels.

I cup her hand over my stomach
right where the little monkey is rolling around at. “That, baby girl is your little sister kicking you. Do you feel her?” Her eyes light up with a glistening sheen of tears.

“That is so sweet!” She squeals as she presses her face against my belly.
She begins to hum quietly as she rubs my belly. This little girl never ceases to amaze me with her gentle heart and her strength of steel. I prop my feet up on the coffee table and brush Heidi Jo’s hair back out of her face, as she hums a lullaby to her baby sister. When her humming stops, I scoot her from my lap and cover her up with the throw blanket before blowing the candles out. When I sit back down, she latches her hand around my wrist and whispers, “Night momma, I love you.”

My heart stills.

I hate hospitals. Death lurks in the dark corners ready to snatch its next victim. The only good experience I’ve had in a hospital was when Heidi Jo was born and even that was followed by death. I stomp into the hospital and check with the receptionist to see if Pops has been moved to a regular room yet. She tells me he’s in room five thirty five, so I round the corner to the bank of elevators. Pressin’ the up button I wait impatiently before stompin’ over to the fire exit and take the steps two at a time to the fifth floor.

When I pull the door ope
n to the fifth floor the distinct smell of antiseptic invades my senses and I cringe as my stomach lurches from the scent. Death. That’s all I smell within these damn four walls. I walk down the long corridor to room five thirty five and stop when I hear two voices speakin’. Without knockin’ I push the door open and rage rushes through my veins when I see Drew Varney sittin’ at my Pops’ bedside.

When Drew’s eyes lock on mine he stands
dustin’ the lint from his sleeve. “Glad you’re okay, Bill. I’ll stop by to see you tomorrow if you’re still in here.”

“Don’t go outta ya way on my account, Drew.” Pops says angrily, his voice ragged
. The air about the room is thick with tension and the frantic beepin’ of the heart monitor tells me Pops is stressed.

Drew pushes past me, his shoulder hittin’ mine and he sneers when I notice the contact.
Stupid prick.

“Pops, ya feelin’ alright?
Where’s momma at?” I say, glancin’ around the room.

“I’m on the right side of dirt, son. That’s what counts I guess.” He chuckles lightly, and it’s a sound I ain’t heard in months. “Ya momma went down to get some coffee just after Drew showed up. She’ll be back up shortly.”

“Think I’ll go check on her. Be right back.” I say, tippin’ my head up at him as I turn on my heels and leave the room. He don’t even try to stop me, perhaps he just ain’t got the strength. I stomp down the hallway takin’ the fire exit downstairs to the lobby. I push the door open to the first floor hallway and look from the left to the right in search of Drew. Stormin’ towards the lobby I see him walkin’ out the exit and I pick up the pace to catch up with him.

“You stupid bastard,” I yell claspin’ my h
and around the back of his neck spinnin’ him around to face me. “You put the old man in here and you got balls big enough to show up here?” He stares at me with a stunned expression, his eyes skating wildly from my eyes to my hand fisted at my side.

“Mr. Weston,
you might wanna remove your hand and take a step back.” He smirks and it takes everything in me not to smash his frickin’ face against the concrete again.

“Yeah
and why’s that you frickin’ pussy? I’ve done tore your ass up once, don’t think I won’t do it again.” I spit, steppin’ forward to close the distance between us.

Drew takes a step back, straightening
his shirt before crossin’ his arms over his chest. “I’m sorry you feel that I’d cause ill will towards your dad. He’s my business partner and I was merely checking on his health.”

“He
ain’t sellin’ Dalton Truckin’ to you. Get that damn idea outta ya frickin’ head now, because it ain’t happenin’.” I seethe. “It’s a damn insult that you’d offer him so little for his partnership. This is your final warnin’ to stay the hell away from my family, every last one of ‘em.” I yell pokin’ my finger into his chest. I step around him to walk away because if I don’t get out of arm’s reach of him now, I may just rip his damn head off. But that’s when he digs the shovel in deeper.

“How’s t
hat adorable little girl; what’s her name, Heidi Jo? Bill talks about her all the time. She sounds like a little firecracker.” He steps closer to me, tauntin’ me further. “She don’t look much like her momma though. Must have a strong dominant gene in ya, little buddy. Just better hope Carly’s little brat takes after the Weston side and not those crooked ass Simons.”

Rage.

The rage that slowly crawled through my chest earlier now rushes through my veins and I see black. Before I can think my fist crashes against the side of his face. Fury fills my veins and the hauntin’ feelin’ of death that I could feel followin’ me ‘round the halls of the hospital is now perched upon my shoulder urgin’ me to deliver its next victim. I deliver blow after blow to his face, chest and stomach as the rage continues and I don’t know if I can stop. Pummelin’ his body to a bloody pulp feels liberatin’ and goose bumps blanket my flesh knowin’ this man’s next breath hangs on the edge of my fists.

Somethin’ clicks
in that moment. At first I don’t recognize it, but when his fearful eyes lock onto mine, my arms fall weightless. His chest heaves raggedly as he rolls to the side, spewin’ vomit against the cool concrete. I could end him right now, but if I do, I’m no better than him. Squattin’ down in front of him I spit through clenched teeth the last warnin’ I’ll give this sick bastard. “Last chance. Leave my family the hell alone. Next time, I’ll not stop.”

“Oh my Heavens, son, what happened to you?” Momma squalls when I walk into Pops hospital room. I stomp into the bathroom to rinse the bastard’s blood from my knuckles. Tiny scrapes and cuts mark the tops of my fists with mixed blood spattered up my wrists and arms. I look up and have a
what the hell
moment when I realize my cheek is cut and swellin’ up. I scan back through my memory and don’t recall bein’ hit, but my face tells a different story. No wonder momma’s mouth dropped when she saw sight of me.

Well shit.

I know Momma and Pops both are gonna have a shit ton of questions, but considerin’ Pops’ ill health at the moment I have to tread lightly. I know my old man. He ain’t told Momma that Drew is tryin’ to force him out of Dalton Truckin’. Hell, all I know is that Drew offered Pops’ one hundred thousand dollars for the truckin’ company. Told him to walk away and never look back. Shit ain’t gonna be happenin’ though. The trucks alone are worth over four hundred thousand dollars, not includin’ the garage, mechanic trucks, equipment and the contracts that Dalton Truckin’ holds with different mines.

When Pops came to Simon Energy last week and told me that Drew was tryin’ to buy him ou
t, red flags waved immediately. Naturally, I let anger get the best of me and I failed to ask him what the hell he was thinkin’. He obviously ain’t thinkin’ straight to even consider something so frickin’ stupid.

I’m suspicious about why Dad would even consider sellin’ Dalton Truckin
’, let alone for a small percentage of what his company’s worth. Twenty plus years my old man has poured into his truckin’ company. The blood, sweat and tears pale in comparison to the time and money spent to lift his company up off the ground, moldin’ it to what it is today. Ain’t no damn way I’m gonna stand back and watch him give it away to some greedy ass prick like Drew Varney.

I step out of the
bathroom and walk around the bed to window and remain silent until the nurse finishes checkin’ Pops’ vitals. Momma asks her a few questions about the stress test and ECG procedures that his doctor has scheduled for him for tomorrow mornin’. His blood pressure and heart rate appear to be steady,
or so she says.
Once the nurse leaves the room, Momma’s tender face turns cold as she pierces me with a deadpan glare.

“Colton Jacob Weston, you left this hospital just over an hour ago, so unless your face was so smeared with mud that I couldn’t see the swellin’ and bruisin’ that’s so ever present now, you’ve been in a brawl. Now, you’re a t
wenty six year old grown man; that I understand. But do you care to explain why your face is tattered?” Momma winces as thunder rolls heavily across the night sky.

Momma
’s face is twisted into a scowl and she taps her foot against the floor impatiently waitin’ for an explanation. I look to Pops’ who gives me a one armed shrug while shakin’ his head. Without explainin’ myself, Pops’ knows what the frig happened, he’s just waitin’ to see if I’m gonna hang him along with myself. Considerin’ his ill health at the moment, I resort to the devices of my twelve year old mind-the one that lied to Momma about a pack of Marlboro Reds she found in the bathroom drawer. But instead of tellin’ Momma a bold face lie I simply stretch the truth, only tellin’ her what she truly needs to know in this moment.

“Saw somebody who p
isses me off. We had words and I busted the prick up.” I shrug and Pops’ shoulders bounce quietly with the laughter that’s fillin’ his chest. Momma’s mouth drops and she grimaces at my use of language in her presence.

Momma has a Godly heart
and raised me to be a strong Christian man, always puttin’ God first in my life. Believe it or not, I went to church every Sunday mornin’ up until my teen years. Somewhere along the way, I found myself stuck between raisin’ hell and amazin’ grace. I blame Pops’ for it all. Man ain’t never stepped foot in a church house and regardless of how hard Momma tried to influence me, my old man’s wicked ways found me. Now I ain’t sinister, or truly wicked, but I’ve raised enough hell in my short twenty six years to drive any Momma crazy. But my momma is truly genuine and strong enough to put up with a good ol’ country boy like me. Hell, she married Bill Weston. Woman shoulda known then her life would be filled with heartache and insanity.

“Son, I’m tellin’ you right this instance if you use language when speakin’ to me again, a bruised cheek wil
l be the least of your concerns. Grow up. You’re a daddy to a very impressionable little girl, with another along the way.” She scolds me and I drop my chin to my chest feelin’ just a little bit of shame. Not for lettin’ my temper get the best of me and thrashin’ Drew’s face against the pavement. Hell no! I find no shame in that shit at all. But I find shame for withholdin’ the truth from Momma, even if it is to protect her.

“Yes ma’am,” I nod.
“It’s late. I’m gonna get home. I’ll bring Heidi Jo by tomorrow mornin’ once you’re done with your testin’, Pops.” I kiss Momma on the forehead and shake Pops hand before leavin’ the room.

When I get home, the house is black as night. I fumble with my keys tr
yin’ to unlock the front door.
What the hell! We gotta porch light for a reason, woman.

I open the front door
and flick the light switch up then down before realizin’ the power’s out. House is hot as hell and I know there ain’t no rest in sight. I flip on the flashlight on my cell phone, tryin’ to illuminate a path so I don’t trip over one of Heidi Jo’s damn toys. The light shines across the couch and my heart stands still at the sight of my sweet baby girl with her arms curled tight around Carly Jo’s large belly. I pick her up in my arms and carry her down the hall to her bed. Openin’ the window, I press a kiss to her forehead and her eyes flicker open for just a second. “Night, Daddy. Tell Momma I love her.” She whispers in a dreamy voice.

“Night, baby girl.”
She smiles sweetly as she drifts off to sleep.

I walk into the livin’
room and before I can scoop her into my arms, Carly Jo stirs in her sleep.

“Hey,” she whispers.

“Hey, darlin’. Let’s get you to bed.” I lace my hand in hers and lead her into the bedroom. She undresses quickly, climbin’ under the covers and stretchin’ her arms into the air just as she does every night. When I lay down, she rolls over pressin’ her face against my chest and tanglin’ her feet in mine.

“How’s your dad?” She asks.

“He’s alright. Gotta have some tests in the mornin’, but he’s a tough son of a bitch. He’ll survive.”

“Yeah,” she mutters quietly, and I can’t help the forebodin’ feelin’ that there’s
somethin’ more to her reply. “Colton? Things seem really strained between you and Bill lately. Are you sure you don’t need to talk about anything?”

Yep…there it is. Carly Jo knows me. I don’t talk about feelins’. I ain’t got a damn vagina. I let that shit stew, then it stews some more until I can’t contain it any longe
r. “I’m fine, darlin’. Heidi Jo give ya any trouble this evenin’?”

“That shou
ldn’t ever be a question, baby. In fact, you’d be so proud of your little girl.” She says softly and I cock an eyebrow up at her, intrigued by her statement. Before I can ask her what Heidi Jo did, she chokes on her words, “Sh-she called me Momma,” a broken sob hitches in her throat.

Momma?

Momma!

“Night, Daddy. Tell Momma I love her.”
I remember her sayin’ as I tucked her in, but I thought she might have been dreamin’ of Kari. My chest swells so tight that it hurts, and an overwhelmingly prideful feelin’ clenches me.

"Momma." I smile to myself.

One of the hardest things I've ever done was to explain to my baby girl why Kari - her momma wasn't with her. Death is a hard concept to understand at four years old but I refused to ever lie to Heidi Jo. The foundation of her very existence was built on lies...I refused to let my lies and secrets control her life. That’s not what makes her who she is; but her genuine heart and adoring personality. Momma was always there, fillin’ Kari’s shoes bein’ the momma that Heidi Jo needed, but it’s hard for her to play the role of momma and mamaw.

Heidi Jo fell for Carly Jo as quickly as I did. One night as I was tuckin' her in she asked me if I'd make Carly Jo her momma. I told her I was workin' on it. She was satisfied with my promise, but each night as she kneeled beside her bed to pray she would always finish on a whisper, prayin’ that God would make Carl
y Jo her momma.

Things hung in th
e balance by a weak, frayin’ thread for a while. Heidi Jo had a hard time with Carly Jo’s absence as much as I fought with it. My heart broke, shatterin’ into a million tiny pieces each time her smile didn't reach her eyes. I knew she missed Carly Jo and was slowly beginnin’ to give up hope of havin’ a momma. She didn't understand how or why someone she loved left her life so quickly. She instantly blamed herself just as she did after she began questioning Kari’s absence. Knowin’ that Heidi Jo’s doubts have settled and she’s found the motherly love she’s always deserved tugs at my heart.

Family.

Carly Jo lays tucked underneath my arm quietly swipin’ tears from the corners of her eyes, startlin’ me from deep thought.

“Thank you, baby.”
I mutter, kissin’ the top of her head. She yawns lazily, tightenin’ her arms around my waist as she nestles her face against my chest, her eyes flutterin’ closed.

“What for?” She
asks quietly, sleep tuggin’ her from within my reach.

“For havin’ a heart big enough to love my-
our
daughter unconditionally. She needs you as much as I do, Carly Jo.”

“Mmm,” she mumbles low, driftin’ further off to dream.

I press a light kiss to the side of her temple then bury my face in her soft caramel waves. The sweet scent of rose buds and Japanese cherry blossoms swirl around me as I inhale deeply, rakin’ my fingers through her hair. The tips of my fingers move on their own accord, grazin’ the soft, tender flesh at the nape of her neck, then trailin’ down the contours of her throat and shoulder. She mindlessly melts into me with a breathless sigh, nudgin’ her knee between my thigh as she tangles her feet in mine.

A low grumble rattles in my chest as her war
m breath cascades across my throat and I tighten my grip around her hip, palmin’ her ass in my hand with a tight squeeze.“Damn, darlin’,” I whisper against her ear with a nip, “I need you so damn much, baby.” I know she’s tired, but I need her like I need my next breath to come down from this roller coaster of mixed emotions chargin’ through me. This day went from fun to shit to deeper shit to one of the happiest moments in my life. The highs outweigh the lows, but I’m wound so tight I feel like I could explode any minute now. But feelin’ Carly Jo pressed tight to my chest has my cock twitchin’ beggin’ to feel her wrapped tightly around it. I knead her ass cheek as my mouth finds the soft curve of her throat and my lips still at her throbbin’ pulse point. I inhale a slow, torturous breath focusin’ on our racin’ hearts, beatin’ together in a melodious harmony.

Sync.

My heart beats because of her.

My mouth continues its decent
down the swells of her breast as a smolderin’ heat blankets over me, sweat beadin’ across my brow and all I’ve frickin’ done is touched her. Shit! My lips latch onto her taut nipple as my fingers trail inside her thigh to her sweet, warm pussy. She whimpers softly stirrin’ in her sleep, diggin’ her nails tightly into my back. I circle her clit gently, before glidin’ over her soft slit and sinkin’ into her warm entrance. I roll her to her back and she instinctively spreads her legs wider, grantin’ me access where I desire it most. Hoverin’ over her I trail wet, hot kisses down her body at a slow torturous pace findin’ pleasure in each of her soft cries.

She fists her hands in my hair and lets out a low raspy moan
as my lips latch onto her sweetest spot. I lap my tongue up her slit languidly, teasing her clit slowly. Warm, sweet honey coats my lips as my fingers tease her tenderly. She fists my hair tighter and my cock goes rigid-hard as steel. Easin’ up her body I lean to the side, mindful of her huge baby bump. I grasp her neck tightly in my thick palm and swallow her cries as my lips crash to hers. She kisses me wildly with a fierceness so out of control that my mind fogs. I blink my eyes rapidly and a thick white haze encases around me.

I’ve been drunk.