Just cause you guys are amazing and I love you, here's the next chapter. I want to give a big shout out to everyone that has read the story so far. I want to send a special 'Thank You' to barnsley gal 09, xAznLuv (AKA: simpleehopee), Babyxbxgurl (AGAIN - extra thanks for the AMAZING review!), hOtlilmofo, miamitravel, angelofhardy226, Bingobaby, Dragona Shadows, alana2awesome, FireFlyFlicker, Raging Raven, Christina89 and Happygolucky103. You guys rock! \m/ (.) \m/ This chapter comes but to current time. (Remember, in the first chapter it jumped to five years earlier.) Yes, the whole story was her flash back of how she got here. So, here is chapter 10. Enjoy!
Back to Now…
I rolled over and looked at the clock. It was pushing 4am. I had gotten up and feed Aidan again and Randy still hadn't called. This wasn't like him. He should have called by 11:30 at the latest. Even if he was driving straight to the next city, he still would have called.
I sat up and threw off the covers. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep. As I passed the foot of the bed, Viper lifter his head from his very plush doggie bed on the floor. I leaned down and rubbed his ear. He got up and padded after me as I walked into the kitchen. I put on the water to boil for some tea and headed into the laundry room, right off from the main part of the kitchen. I set the baby monitor on the washing machine as I pulled the towels out of the dryer and folded them. I got them all folded and put away in the hall closet just as the teapot whistled.
I sat at the kitchen table, drinking my tea and watching the sky lighten up across the backyard. Randy better have a good reason for not calling. I looked down to the floor as I heard Viper's tail thump on the kitchen tiles. I couldn't help but smile at him. He was sprawled out on his side with his head laying on my foot. Despite his name and being one of the most vicious breeds of dogs, Viper was the most laid back, relaxed dog I had ever seen. Except when someone came between him and his family then he became like his namesake.
I picked up the house phone and dialed Randy's phone again for what had to be the 20th time. It rang four times and then went to his voicemail.
I sighed and turned off the phone. I set it on the table beside the silent baby monitor. I didn't want to but I was kinda starting to worry about him. It was so strange of him not to answer his phone. I hoped he was okay. I had watched the show after I put the boys to bed and I didn't see any sign that he could have been hurt but sometimes they hid their injuries till after the show.
Viper suddenly sat up and stared toward the front of the house, hearing something only his ears could pick up. A few seconds later, I heard a car door shut. I glanced at the clock as I got up to follow Viper. It was almost 5:30am. Who could be here at this time of the morning?
I found Viper standing at the front door, sniffing at the door jam where the door closed against it. He was trying to smell whoever was outside. I jumped at the sudden knock. I had been watching Viper so intently that the noise startled me. I noticed that he was waging his tail. I let out the breath I was holding. Whoever was on the other side of the door was friendly. The knock sounded again. I looked through the peephole but all I could see was a beautiful bunch of wildflowers.
I opened the locks and pushed Viper back, telling him to sit, which he instantly did. I cracked the door to see a tall man in jeans and a zipped up black hoodie. He was holding the flowers in front of his face. I smiled slightly as I recognized Randy's hand and ring. I pushed open the door a little more.
"Can I help you?" I asked.
"Special delivery for Mrs. Raelyn Orton." Randy grinned at me as he handed the flowers to me. I took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance of the wildflowers and stepped back, letting him walk inside. He shut the door behind him and dropped his small bag that he had brought in from the car. He took the flowers from me and set them on the door side table. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.
"I missed you so much baby." He said quietly to me as he dipped his head, kissing me softly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back.
"I missed you too." I pushed back slightly. "Why didn't you call me?" I smacked his chest lightly. "I was worried about you. You always call me." He grinned and kissed me again.
"I'm sorry Rae." He kissed me again. "I wanted to surprise you. Plus, I have something important to tell you." I stepped back away from him.
"Is everything okay? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He cupped my cheek, placing his thumb over my lips.
"I'm okay baby. Everything's okay." He leaned down and grabbed his bag. He took my hand, linked our fingers and raised it to his lips. "Can we go back to our room? I'm worn out from my drive, baby. I really just want to lay down with you."
"Oh Randy, I'm sorry. Come on." I pulled on his hand and led him past both of the boy's rooms to our room at the far end of our hall. He dropped his bag by his side of the bed, unzipped his jacket and tossed it on the chair by the closet. He kicked off his shoes by that same chair and dropped down on the bed, flopping over to his back. I crawled in on my side, setting the baby monitor on my nightstand and curled up against Randy's side. He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close. I rested my cheek against his t-shirt clad chest while he rubbed my shoulder. After a while of nice quiet, God I was so happy to have him home, I finally spoke up.
"Didn't you say that you had something to tell me?"
"Yeah, I did." He lifted my left hand from his chest, idly playing with my rings. "I got a call from Mr. Russell."
"Mr. Russell?" I leaned up on my elbow. "Mr. Russell? As in the lawyer that helped me with the divorce?" He nodded. "What did he say?" I laid my head back on his chest. Randy stroked the hair away from my neck. He stroked my nape with his fingertips. He sighed deeply.
"Harlow's dead." I leaned back up on my elbow.
"What?" He kept stroking my nape with his thumb.
"Harlow got killed yesterday in a fight. He got stabbed to death. They don't know if he started the fight, if someone started messing with him or if he just got caught up in the whole thing." Wow. That was…what was it to me? Sadly. I was relieved he was gone. I laid back down.
"Is it horrible of me?" I asked quietly.
"What baby?"
"Is it horrible of me to be relieved that he's really gone? That I never have to worry about someday him getting out and find you or the boys and hurting you. I don't have to worry about that now."
"No baby, you don't have to worry about him ever again. You and the boys are safe from him forever. He's never gonna hurt you again."
"I know." I wrapped my arm around his chest, squeezing him to me. We lay there in the quiet of the early dawn, just holding each other. I raised my head when I heard a noise out in the hallway.
"Mommy?" Landon came walking down the hall, rubbing his eyes and carrying his stuffed dog close to his chest.
"Hey baby." I said to Landon as he walked in and stopped just inside the doorway, still rubbing his eyes.
"Mommy can I…" He looked at the bed when Randy propped himself up on his elbows. Landon's eyes got big and an adorable smile lit up his face when he saw Randy. "Daddy!" Landon climbed into the bed and threw himself against Randy's chest. He fell back against the bed with Landon wrapped around him. Randy held Landon close with a hand on his back and another on the back of his head.
"Hey buddy."
"I miss you Daddy." Randy smiled and kissed the top of his head.
"I missed you too kiddo." Landon sat back on Randy's upper abdomen so that he could see both of us.
"We go see John and Bee?" The last time Randy came home, the four of us loaded up and drove to the hotel to spend the day with Bree and John. Bree had stayed close to the hotel, not wanting to venture to far away in case she started to feel bad. Bree and John had given us the amazing news, just weeks after Aidan had been born, that they were having a baby. We were beyond happy for them. Randy smiled at Landon.
"Not this time buddy but maybe we might go see Grandma and Grandpa later." Landon smiled.
"Nate be there?" Nathan, or Nate, Randy's brother was another one of Landon's favorite people. It was probably because of all the attention that Nate paid to him. Landon was Nate's 'little buddy'. A few times, since I had been home with newborn Aidan, Nate would come by, pick Landon up and they would spend the day together. Randy reached out and ruffled Landon's hair.
"We'll see buddy." Randy sat up and shifted Landon to his lap. "I brought you something Lan." He held on to Landon as he leaned over and grabbed his bag. He sat it up on the bed beside him. He riffled through and came out with a small jersey. On one side was some kind of design similar to Randy's other shirts. "Look." Randy turned the jersey around to show him the back. "I got them to put your initials on the back." He pointed out the 'LTO' across the shoulders.
"Tank you Daddy." Landon hugged Randy around his neck. He pulled back to look at me. "Wear it today, Mommy?" I smoothed down his hair.
"Sure baby. You can wear it today." Landon crawled over into my lap, hugging me. Randy dug into his bag and pulled out two more shirts. He showed us one that was a mini size for Aidan with 'ARO' on the back, standing for Aidan Randal Orton. He also had one for me with 'RTO' on the back. I leaned into kiss Randy as Landon ran into our bathroom to use the potty. "Thank you for the shirt Randy." He stroked his thumb across my cheekbone.
"You're welcome baby." He kissed me softly. "I have something else I need top tell you. About Harlow."
"What else is there Randy? He's gone, right?" He nodded. "What else could there be?" Landon came running back in the room, his hands still wet. He stopped by Randy's side of the bed, holding his hands out.
"Daddy?" Randy grinned at him.
"What's wrong buddy?" He picked Landon up and sat him in his lap. Landon held out his hands again.
"Towel too high."
"Sorry Lan." I smiled as Randy slipped his hands inside his t-shirt and took Landon's little hands in his and dried them off on his shirt. "Better buddy?" Landon nodded.
"Yep." He climbed off Randy's lap. I was laying on my side with my arm tucked up under my pillow. Landon grabbed his doggie and laid down beside me on his stomach. I rubbed his back softly.
"I lay here wif you and Mommy?" He asked Randy, who had laid back down.
"Sure you can." He smoothed down his hair. Randy rolled to his side and smiled softly at me. In a few seconds Landon's breathing started to even out as he drifted off to sleep.
"You said you had something else to tell me about Michael." I said quietly. He reached over Landon and tucked some of my hair behind my ear, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
"Yeah. Mr. Russell told me…" Randy was cut off by Aidan's sudden cry through the baby monitor. Landon lifted his head to look at me.
"Oh no, Mommy. Aidy sad." I sat up.
"I know Lan." Randy sat up too. He laid his hand on my shoulder.
"I'll get him baby." He leaned across Landon and kissed me. "You stay here." He kissed me again and rolled out of the bed, heading down the hall.
"Can I stay Mommy?" Landon asked. I laughed.
"Of course you can baby." I laid back down and pulled him against me. I smiled as I heard Randy start to talk to Aidan.
"Hey kiddo. What's all this noise?" He must have picked him up because the crying quieted down. Randy talked to him the whole time he was changing his diaper. Yes, surprisingly, Randy 'The Viper' Orton was a very hands on father. He was always willing to do anything, even change a diaper, for his boys. "You wanna go see Mommy and Landon?" A few moments later, Randy carried in a cooing Aidan. Just like Landon did, Aidan looked so incredibly small in Randy's big arms.
He carefully slid into the bed still holding a now quiet Aidan. Landon got up on his knees so that he could see him.
"He not sad no more Daddy." He leaned in and kissed Aidan's forehead. "Good job." Randy and I couldn't help but laugh at the comment that we made to him every time he did something good.
"Thanks buddy." Randy told him as Landon laid back down between us. He smiled at me and looked back down at a now sleeping Aidan. "Harlow left you everything." I was stunned, my hand going still on Landon's back.
"I'm sorry. What?" He looked back up at me.
"He never got around to changing his will. He left you everything.. His money, his place in New York, his cars…the still thriving business. Its all yours baby."
"Uh…why? He never loved me or even liked me for that matter."
"Who knows why he did anything he did Rae? But since he never fought the charges against him, he still has all of his money. His cars, that apartment…just sitting there waiting for him. And his company, he must have thought he was going to get out soon, but his company is being run by the board right now and he named you his successor if something happened to him." Wow. This was a lot to take in but still…
"I don't want any of that. I don't want anything associated with him, Randy."
"I know baby." We settled into a deep quiet as Landon fell asleep between us. Aidan started to get fussy again so Randy handed him over to me so that I could feed him. Randy leaned in to kiss my cheek and stroke Aidan's head as he filled his little tummy and made himself sleepy at the same time. I rubbed Aidan's back and turned my face towards Randy's.
"I want to sell the apartment, the cars and…and Harlow Advertising. I want to donate some of the money to a charity for battered women. The rest of the money, I want to set up something for the boys. They can use the money for college and then whatever they want when they hit a certain age. I don't want to use it for anything for me, I already have everything I could ever want. I just want something good to be done with it." Randy smiled softly at me.
"That's perfect Rae. I don't need any of that money either. The money should go to a good cause." He stroked Aidan's head again. "I can't think of anything better than letting the boys get some happiness from it." Randy settled down slightly in the bed, laying his cheek against my shoulder and rubbed Landon's back.
"I want to feel guilty for being glad he's gone, but I can't. I'm just so happy and relieved that he's completely gone from our lives. This is a new beginning for us Randy." He smiled at me.
"I know Rae." He looked at our sons, both sleeping contently and then looked back at me. He leaned in and kissed me softly. "Baby, this is the beginning of our Happily Ever After."
Sadly, yes, this is the end. I hope you like this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I just want to say an enormous THANK YOU to everyone who read this story. You have made me feel really amazing about what I have written. I can't thank you enough. I truly love all of you!
Till next time...Love, =^.^=