Chapter 19: The Jailbirds Take Flight


    nked by two of her eternal protectors, Arden spends the duration of the car ride being coddled by


    them both at alternate intervals.


    Warren allows Elliott the lead role, keeping his inquiries about how she''s feeling to a minimum and


    resisting the urge to ce her in one of his imprable bear hugs.


    Taking notice of her father''s restraint, she lifts her head from Eli''s shoulder and reaches over to take


    Warren''s hand. They share a quick look, as he gives her hand a gentle squeeze.


    Traffic is more of an issue heading south than usual at this time of day, which leaves Arden with more


    time to mull about in her own headspace than she''d like.


    On nights when the past isn''t haunting her dreams, Casper fills that time slot. The stress of today has


    pulled her even deeper into the guilty pleasure.


    Until a few weeks ago, she was a married woman who enjoyed her life. She had a husband and two


    kids whom she adored, and a sessful business. Things were far from perfect. But everything made


    sense.


    Then he showed up with his deep brown eyes, six-foot-three build of hard-won muscle, and his smooth


    words. And that damn British ent was just the cherry on top.


    She doesn''t even know Casper. Yet she''s risking her rtionship over him. And for what? A couple of


    intoxicating, passionate kisses?


    Trouble alwayses knocking when she''s the least prepared to deal with it. Now that the portal''s


    been opened, it''ll be one problem after the other. She can feel it.


    Elliott shifts beside her, snatching focus from her thoughts for a moment. The bit of sun that''s permitted


    past the window''s heavy tint hits his face and illuminates his blue eyes. The light casts broken shadows


    across his skin, providing the perfect backdrop for his fair features.


    His pensive pose reminds her of the first days of their rtionship when she used to spend much of


    their time together just staring at him. All of that goo-goo-eyed infatuation gifted her with the ability to


    decipher his mood by his bodynguage. His current posture gives rise to a new level of anxiety for


    her.


    He''s leaning against the door with one hand perched on his chin. The lines forming on his forehead


    and the frown turning down his lips tell her that he''s ming himself for all this.


    Eli is quick to shoulder the world''s burden, a trait that makes arguing with him impossible. She can''t be


    upset with a man who always admits when he''s wrong and tries to see her side. It''s like having a


    shouting match with a monk who broke his vow of silence just to assure you that he feels your pain. At


    some point, you just look like an asshole who gets off on the harassment of a gentle soul. And she sure


    as hell feels like one right now.


    She betrayed her marriage vows today, several of them. There''s been attention from a few men over


    the years. Especially from ck men who feelpelled to inform her that she''s missing out on being


    with a “real,” man.


    She realized a long time ago that a real man is much more than his skin color or whatever might be


    stretching out his boxer briefs. A real man doesn''t have to inform the world that he is such. It''s very


    apparent in the light in his woman''s eyes, and her willingness to shout his praises from every mountain


    top and anthill alike.


    Her husband is everything she ever wanted and needed. She can''t figure out how a stranger has


    managed to turn her world on its head in such a short time. If she could just put her finger on whatever


    it is that has her drawn to Casper like a moth to a scorching me, she could stamp out the culprit and


    get back to her usual self.


    Arden steals another nce at Eli, relieved that he seems too absorbed in his own emotional sludge to


    notice that her palms are sweating despite the crisp climate of the car. The inner tempest that''s roiling


    in her gut keeps her as the lone passenger of its displeasure cruise.


    Before her grip on reality can be any rockier, they''re driving through the gates of her family''s


    estate. Coasting up the tree-lined road that leads to the main house, she''s anxious to see Rowan and


    Teagan.


    Their driver brings the car to a stop right in front of the steps of the wraparound porch. Eli''s parents and


    the kids must have been watching for them because they''re all outside before Othello has a chance to


    put the car in park.


    She can''t contain the smile that spreads across her face when she sees Rowan and Teagan running


    down the steps. The slight sting in her cheek reminds her of the cut on her otherwise smooth skin.


    Reaching down into her handbag, she slips on a pair of wide-rimmed sunsses and pulls on her


    sweater. Then she removes the pins from her hair and tousles its curls, coaxing them into a face-


    framing bob. She checks her appearance in the rearview mirror.


    The oversized sses hide the mark on her cheek, being further obscured by her dark hair. Her


    sweater is concealing a couple of smaller scratches and bruises. The bandage on her hand can be


    exined away as a kitchen mistake. Now somewhat presentable, she lets Eli help her down from the


    backseat.


    Ro and Tea rush their parents, taking turns smothering them both. They all hang onto each other like


    the other might float away. Rowan puts a death grip on Arden, while his sister throws her arms around


    Elliott.


    "Mom ..." Ro bends to rest his head on her shoulder. She closes her eyes and embraces him even


    tighter, letting her son''s heated tears stain the cashmere of her cardigan.


    "It''s okay, sweetheart," she whispers. nting a kiss on Rowan''s cheek, she softly rubs his back as he


    cries into her hair. She breathes through the tears that are cracking at her own voice. "We''re all okay.


    It''s over."


    Rowan''s breathing returns to a more normal pace after another minute or so. When he pulls back from


    her, she reaches up to wipe the tears from his face, earning a sad smile from him. Allowing Arden just


    enough space to walk, Ro hangs onto her hand. She greets her inws with Rowan attached to her


    side like Velcro.


    John and Diane both hug and kiss Arden with as much enthusiasm as the kids. They spend more time


    fussing over her than they do with their own son.


    Diane is especially relieved to see that she is still in one piece. Shetches herself onto Ardi''s other


    arm and doesn''t show any sign of leaving her side anytime soon.


    Once they''re all done gushing over the two jailbirds, everyone files inside to the house''s main living


    area. They all settle into the sitting room and start in with a line of questioning about the past few hours.


    Arden and Elliott exchange frequent looks with each other when the twins begin to ask about things


    that might be best left unsaid. They haven''t had a chance to discuss the most diplomatic way to tell Ro


    and Tea that their mother has given vindictive a whole new meaning. Remaining quiet for now seems


    like a better option. Rowan and Teagan must get the picture because they drop it. Something else has


    caught their attention anyway.


    "What happened to your hand?" Tea asks, pointing at the gauze circling Arden''s hand.


    "I um . . . cut myself this morning at work." Her uneasyugh fills the air. "You''d think I could handle a


    knife by now."


    Both Elliott and Warren clear their throats. No one else in the room seems to be buying that


    exnation either. Before anyone can ask about the reason she''s still wearing sunsses inside the


    house, she excuses herself to her childhood bedroom.


    Inside the four walls that could tell her life story, she strips off her clothes and throws them into the


    wicker hamper in the linen closet. She turns on the shower and allows the water some time to heat


    while she examines her face in the mirror.


    A mild bruising has begun to surface around her cheekbone. Her fingers offer a hesitant touch to the


    faint markings that are now visible on her neck and upper arms. Those will be ugly by tomorrow


    morning.


    An overwhelmingbination of helpless frustration and sadness overtakes her. With the steam from


    the shower building around her, she rests her palms on the pedestal sink and lets the tears flow at will.


    The releasests a few tortured seconds before she cuts it off with a harsh swipe of her hand. She


    sighs at her reflection and opens the medicine cab.


    Popping the package of a new toothbrush, she scrubs at her teeth and tongue until her gums are sore.


    Then she grabs a bottle of mouthwash and gargles away any remaining traces of Casper and the


    mtto maniac.


    She steps into the shower and lets the scalding hot spray run over her body. As the water courses over


    her skin, she envisions the filth of the day running off her body and disappearing down the drain. If only


    shedding what''s on her mind was that easy.


    After she''s subjected her pores to a beating of near-boiling water, she covers herself in an embroidered


    robe. She rests her foot on the settee at the end of the bed and massages cocoa butter into her skin.


    When she switches to her other leg, she can feel the beginnings of the fatigue in her bones. It''s only


    going to get worse as the evening wears on.


    In an attempt to fight off the urge to give in to the lethargy that''s weighing her down, Arden walks into


    the closet and takes a seat at the vanity. She sets out an array of makeup and begins applying


    concealer along with a color-corrector to her cheek and underneath her eyes. A light buffing with a


    foundation brush gets her caramelplexion back in the ballpark of its natural brilliance.


    Ardi brushes her damp hair back into a low chignon and secures it with a pearl hairb. Then she


    moves to the opposite side of the walk-in to get dressed.


    Bypassing jeans and more formal dresses, she selects a skirt with an ankle-grazing hem andce


    ovey. The white tea-length garment might be a bit much for a simple dinner at home. But jeans are


    far too casual.


    Dressing for dinner was never a spoken requirement of her and Adam growing up. But when thedy of


    the house was at the other end of the table wearing a full skirt and a silk blouse, looking like the


    definition of poise and femininity, a t-shirt and jeans just looked cheap byparison.


    She finds a matching lightweight sweater with a high neck and pushes its long sleeves up to her


    elbows. Stepping into the skirt, she pulls it over the sweater and tugs up the hidden side zipper. She


    chooses a pair of nude patent pumps and slips her feet into them.


    Onest check of her appearance reveals that her ears have yet to be adorned. Just as she''s pushing


    the other diamond and pearl teardrop earring into her ear, someone knocks on the bedroom door.


    "Arden?" Inside the thick cedar of the walk-in, Arden can barely hear whoever it is. But that soft voice


    can belong to only one person. "May Ie in?"


    "Of course, Diane. Come in." She smiles at Eli''s mother as she opens the door for her. "I didn''t mean to


    keep everyone waiting. I was just on my way back downstairs."


    "Don''t worry about that, dear. That''s not why I came up here." She waves away Arden''s apology. "I


    wanted to speak with you . . . alone."


    "Oh." The sinking feeling that follows the sudden dip of a roller coaster upsets her stomach. She offers


    her mother-inw a seat on the Victorian chaise. "What''s on your mind?"


    They settle onto the pastel blue upholstery. Diane takes Arden''s hands and opens her mouth to speak,


    but then falls silent. Instead, she stares at her daughter-inw with a faint smile on her face, seeming to


    be lost somewhere else.


    “Are you okay?”


    "Oh, sweetheart, yes. I''m fine." Diane shakes her head and smiles. "I was just thinking how much you


    look like you did on your wedding day. I’d never seen anyone more beautiful."


    Arden nces down at herself, blushing at thepliment.


    "Elliot was so nervous when he saw you." Diane reaches over to smooth a strand of Arden''s hair, and


    then sheughs. "Couldn''t even recite his vows."


    Ardiughs along with her, remembering how tongue-tied he was. It took him almost ten minutes. But


    he managed tomunicate every word that he''d written to her.


    One line in particr bubbles to the surface of her memory. He''d promised to appreciate her every day,


    to always make time for her. She smirks to herself. Some promises sound better on paper.


    "That was the luckiest day of my son''s life. Our whole family got an angel."


    She smiles faintly and thanks, Diane. "I don''t know how true that is."


    Grasping her hands tighter, Diane moves a bit closer to Arden. She gives her fingers a quick shake to


    make Ardi meet her eyes.


    "You saved their lives." The intensity in her tone shocks Arden. Her mother-inw doesn''t often speak


    with so much force. "Sooner orter, Melinda would have destroyed him. Rowan and Teagan would


    have lost their father, too. Neither of them would be here today without you."


    "Eli could have managed as a single father." Ardi is sure her face must be ming red through the


    matte foundation she just applied. "You and John have always been a great support for him and the


    kids."


    "I know my boy." Diane shakes her head. "He''s brilliant and caring. But he has a blind spot for the ones


    he loves. It''s so easy for him to be taken advantage of."


    She doesn''t object. Eli is a sweet soul who has a difficult time even uttering a curse word in front of her.


    He just doesn''t spend enough time at home. The man has to work. His absence bothers him just as


    much as it does her. He shouldn''t be penalized for his dedication. Then again, neither should she.


    "He needs you." She caresses Arden''s cheek. "You bring out that light in him. With you, he''s a braver


    version of himself."


    "That''s all him. He''s a wonderful man. I don''t ..."


    "Arden … Even after everything you''ve been through today, there isn''t an ounce of malice on your


    tongue for Melinda." She shushes the younger woman. The worry lines that traverse Diane''s pale skin


    deepen, and age her soft features past their sixty-five years. "You’ve always considered the twins and


    Elliott first."


    Ardi bows her head. Part of the reason she''s being so forgiving of others’ bad behavior today is the dirt


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    she’s tracked inside herself.


    Diane continues to point out how selfless and sweet Arden is, failing to notice the slight tinge of guilt


    casting a shadow over her brown eyes.


    "The fact you''re sitting here no doubt in pain, withoutint, and worried about everyone else. I


    couldn’t love you more." Diane begins to sniffle and looks toward the window. She blinks hard before


    turning to face Ardi again. "I don''t know if I''ve ever said it. But … thank you."


    Arden spends another few moments smiling down at their hands, trying to choke back the tears


    brewing behind her loweredshes. Leaning forward, she puts her arms around the woman''s slender


    shape. She inhales Diane''s softvender scent and indulges in a distant memory as she lets it envelop


    her.


    "All right, enough tears. We''ll both be a wilted mess if we keep this up." Diane reaches for a tissue from


    the box on the side table and folds it into a neat triangle. Careful not to press too hard, she dabs at


    Arden''s eyes. "There. Gorgeous."


    Diane stands and takes Ardi''s hand again. The two women descend the stairs from the second floor,


    speaking to each other in cheerful whispers like debutantes headed for the annual ball.