Broken (Surrender Book 1)
Broken: Chapter 23

‘CONNER AND I DECIDED on teal for the walls.’ I flipped through the design portfolio and ran my fingers along various fabric swatches that were laid before us in my office, in our home. Fatima and Helena joined us, helping me finalize the design for the nursery before Conner and I left town for our babymoon. Upon our return, the nursery would be completed. Helena and Fatima agreed to supervise the entire project in our absence.

‘That’s a wonderful choice, dear.’ Emma Vantrose, famed designer and television personality clapped her hands and beamed. ‘I can see it now. The teal walls with the gray and white chevron motif will do a fabulous job breaking up the solid blocks of color.’ Emma’s sleek red bob hung dramatically over one eye, and she brushed it back with red manicured fingers.

‘The furniture will be delivered next Tuesday?’ Helena asked as she sipped her coffee.

‘Yes. My crew and I will arrive at 7 a.m. sharp.’ Emma jotted a few things down on her tablet before packing away the color swatches and portfolio.

‘I love your show, by the way. I watch it all the time,’ Fatima enthusiastically said, going all fangirl on Emma.

‘Thank you, dear.’ Emma graciously smiled.

I walked, more like wobbled, with Emma to her car. ‘Thanks so much. I know your schedule is hectic. We really appreciate it.’

‘Oh, dear. It’s not a problem at all.’ We air-kissed each other’s cheeks. ‘Please give Conner my love.’ She smiled and took my hands. ‘Just beautiful. You’re glowing.’

I rubbed my enormous belly. ‘I feel like a whale.’

‘You look fabulous. You’re all stomach, just like my daughter in law. She’s due in a few weeks also. Like I told her, you’ll have your figure back in no time. But don’t rush it.’ She winked. ‘Just take care of yourself. You won’t get a full night’s sleep for the next couple of years.’

‘So I’ve been told,’ I said with a smile.

The cool November breeze skated across my skin and through my hair. The crisp leaves of the oak trees crunched beneath our shoes. Emma and I embraced before she got inside of her car. ‘I’ll email you all the specs today. Enjoy your babymoon,’ she called out, before driving away.

∞∞∞

FATIMA AND HELENA WERE in the kitchen seated at the corner breakfast nook. Javier had prepared a platter of sandwich wraps for us. I sat down at the table, while Fatima and Helena fixed our plates. Helena handed me a plate and sat down beside me. ‘Thanks, Helena.’ I rubbed the side of my belly as Caleb extended his foot, causing a tiny limb to protrude out. His brother, Caden, was sleeping.

‘Aww, let me feel!’ Fatima came over and placed her hands on top of my belly. Her face lit with wonder as Caden starting to stir awake.

I took a big bite of my sandwich and leaned back in my chair. ‘They kept me up most of the night. And the heartburn. Ugh.’

‘You sure it wasn’t Conner who kept you up last night?’ Fatima joshed while nudging me.

‘TMI,’ Helena said, as she scrunched her face. ‘What time do you guys leave tonight?’

‘The jet will be fired up and ready at 4 o’clock. Conner should be home soon.’ Conner had left his therapy appointment with Dr. Stan McLaughlin about thirty minutes ago. I met with my therapist, Dr. Sheila Jackson, yesterday.

‘I’m not entirely comfortable with you traveling so close to your due date. Your father’s not too happy about it either.’ Concern shone on Helena’s face.

‘Dad gave Conner an earful yesterday, making sure he had all the emergency numbers on speed dial.’ Conner and my dad were on speaking terms these days. They seemed to have buried the hatchet and had even played a few rounds of golf recently. Conner hated golf. My dad loved it. ‘Dr. Shavers cleared us for travel. We also have the top OBGYN in Monterey County on standby, if anything should arise. We haven’t had any complications up to this point, so I’m not worried.’ Helena didn’t look the least bit convinced. ‘It’ll be a comfortable flight. His jet is super comfy, and it even has a bed in it. And we’ll probably stay inside the cabin the entire time we’re there.’

‘If that’s a cabin,’ Fatima made air quotes with her fingers, ‘then that Olympic size pool you have out back is a puddle. The pictures you showed us looked amazing.’

It was rather captivating. Conner owned a custom-made log cabin in Northern California, in Monterey County. It’s four thousand square foot structure, which was made of cedarwood, stone, and glass was nestled and secluded in the Redwoods. All the rooms either had a view of the Pacific Ocean or sprawling redwood trees. ‘Yeah, it’s not your typical cabin in the woods. He had it built a couple years back as a prototype for a development he’s planning on building in Colorado.’ I finished my sandwich and gulped down the rest of my sweet tea.

‘Have you heard from Amy? I haven’t seen her around lately.’ Helena eyed me over the rim of her glass.

‘She’s spending some time in Aspen right now with a cousin.’ Conner and I received a handwritten letter from Amy about a month ago. She wished us both the best and apologized for any pain and disruption that she caused in our lives. She planned to stay in Aspen, indefinitely.

‘I heard that Quentin moved out and let her keep the house,’ Fatima responded.

‘How did you know that Quentin left her the house?’ Helena asked Fatima.

Fatima took a few large gulps of her sweet tea like she was dying of thirst. ‘Quentin may have mentioned it.’

‘To you?’ Helena quizzically asked.

I looked back and forth between the two of them.

Fatima casually waved her hand and gave a light shrug.

‘Right,’ Helena drawled. ‘We’ll have this conversation later,’ Helena said disapprovingly.

‘Yes, ma’am,’ Fatima replied. Helena was more like a mother to Fatima than an aunt. She helped raise her when Fatima’s mother passed away when she was just shy of eight years old.

‘Novalee, dear, what happened between Amy and Quentin? The ink was barely dry on their marriage license before they called it quits. And to top it off, she had her tongue down your throat.’

Fatima choked on her sweet tea, and my jaw was agape in shock. ‘Her tongue was not down my throat.’

‘Yeah, okay. And that picture was doctored, right?’

‘The photo was grainy! There was absolutely no tongue action,’ I defended.

‘It was really dark in that parking garage, auntie,’ Fatima commented, barely keeping a straight face.

‘Don’t get all in a huff.’ Helena shooed me with her hand. ‘Back to Quentin. Was there infidelity involved? I can’t imagine a woman cheating on Quentin. That man is a fine piece of ass.’ Helena fanned herself with her hand.

‘Helena, language,’ I playfully reprimanded.

She and Fatima clinked glasses. ‘Here, here!’ Fatima joined in.

‘And he’s such a gentleman. He is such a class act,’ Helena added.

Fatima remained silent and slowly nodded.

‘You two are too much.’ I shook my head at them and stifled a giggle.

‘It must be something in the water out here,’ Helena commented. ‘Quentin and Conner are the finest white boys I have ever laid my eyes on. Quentin is like a hybrid of Paul Walker and Brad Pitt. And Conner…whew, chile. He reminds of that man from those Fifty Shades movies. All dark and mysterious.’ Helena exaggeratedly flipped her hair and clutched her pearl necklace, before we all squealed in laughter.

‘What did I miss? What’s so funny?’ Conner walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

‘Oh, nothing,’ Helena downplayed. ‘We’re talking our town’s drinking water quality.’

Conner’s brows drew together. ‘Hmm, okay. Well, don’t let me interrupt.’ He kissed me on my neck before leaving the kitchen.

Fatima bit back her cackle, causing some tea to squirt out of her nose, which made us all start up again.

‘Okay, I just peed a little,’ I said, rising from the chair and rushing to the bathroom.

‘Eww,’ Fatima called out, laughing even harder.

‘I’m going to tell Conner!’ Helena teased.

‘Tell Conner, and I’ll tell my dad that you like white meat,‘ I singsonged over my shoulder before closing the bathroom door.