Vivian (12 page)

“
I understand,” Clayton nodded. “It’ll be tight, but we’ll all be okay here.”

She narrowed her gaze at him. “You’re worried something will happen?”

“
Until you all know who was here that night and where Adam’s mother is, she’s not leaving my sight if she’s not with you.”

Brock climbed down off the ladder. “Sam’s been looking for her.” He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to mention what he does in his office.”

Amelia pointed the paintbrush in his direction. “Spill it.”

He nodded. “The Monroes are no longer living in Florida. Only, he doesn’t know where they went.”

“
His dad is missing too?”

Brock nodded. “He learned that today.”

Amelia looked back at Clayton. “Stay with her. We’ll work hard to get this place fixed up. When I get back from my honeymoon then, she can move in with you.”

He smiled. “I’ll be happy wherever she is.”

There was a sparkle that danced in Amelia’s eyes even when her face was stone cold. “She deserves you. You make her happy.”

“
We’re good for each other.”

Amelia gave him a nod and went back to working on the trim.

Clayton picked up a broom and began to sweep.

They were good for each other. He’d never have thought that two broken souls could mend each other, but he believed it now.

Since the day he’d met her he’d felt at peace. He’d been searching for that for nearly two years. He wasn’t fool enough to think that the pain would go away completely. He knew better. But he wanted the ache to go away. It had when he’d met Vivian.

“
What in the hell?” Brock stepped down the ladder. “Holy cow, she was burying money in the walls too.”

Both Amelia and Clayton moved toward him as he held out a handful of twenty-dollar bills.

“
That’s why there are holes in the walls,” Amelia looked toward the closet.

Brock nodded holding up a chewed bill. “I think the mice found a few of these.”

Clayton watched Amelia bite down on her lip. “We need to get into that wall. Something tells me that someone knows that’s in there. Because if they came for the box and then found a few of the books they know they don’t have enough.”

“
You think they’ll come back?” Clayton asked.

Amelia let out a long breath. “I do. We can’t let her stay here.” She stomped her foot and looked up at both of the men watching her. “We have to move the daycare.”

Vivian and Penelope had stayed on the main level until the last child was picked up. They couldn’t imagine what the noise coming from the bedroom could be.

“
Can you sit with the girls for a moment? I’ll go see what’s up,” Vivian asked Penelope as her girls and Clayton’s girls helped pick up the room.

“
Sure.”

Vivian started for the stairs just as the buzzer on the door rang. She looked back to see Sam standing on the porch.

She hurried back and opened the door for him.

“
Did you have a harried day? You look frazzled,” he said smiling at her.

It was then another loud thud came from the room above them.

“
What in the hell are they doing up there?” he asked and then censored his question when he saw four sets of young eyes, and Penelope’s, shoot a look his way. “I mean what the heck?”

“
I was just headed upstairs to find out.”

Vivian turned from him and they both hurried up the stairs.

Dust filled the air and she could see Amelia, Brock, and Clayton in the closet of the bedroom pulling at a piece of the wall.

“
What are you three doing up here?” She stood with her hands on her hips, watching with Sam at her side.

Amelia stepped away from the wall and pulled a dust mask off her face.

“
She hid money in the walls. There’s at least a few grand here alone.”

Vivian was sure she couldn’t blink as she stood there looking at her. “You’re kidding.”

Clayton walked toward them. His entire head was covered in dust and debris. “She’s not. Look.”

In his hands were small bundles of money, which had once been banded.

Amelia smiled. “Each one of these has a hundred dollars rolled up. It’s almost as if the wall is insulated with it.”

Sam stepped fully into the room. “Why were you tearing up the wall anyway?”

Brock stepped out of the closet and shook the dust from his hair. “Remodel.” He smiled. “The steps to the attic aren’t safe. I thought if she was going to live in this house she should have her own sitting area up there and it could be a loft from in here.”

Sam’s expression changed. “I didn’t realize you were so handy.”

“
Can’t say I knew either, but it seems to run in my blood.” He smiled and headed back into the closet.

Amelia moved closer in toward them both. “You know what this means don’t you?”

“
I have to sleep with the girls longer,” Vivian laughed as she spoke.

Amelia shook her head. Her face had gone somber. “Someone knows there’s more money in this house. Having whatever they found in the box and in the few books they knocked over isn’t going to hold them for long.”

“
You think they’ll come back?”

Amelia nodded. “You can’t stay here.”

Vivian dropped her shoulders. “Right.”

Amelia looked up at Sam. “We need to move the daycare,” she said and her voice dropped. “It’s not safe.”

The air in the room had grown thick. They’d worked so hard for this and now they had to change everything all over again. It wasn’t fair. This had gone on too long.

“
She needs to be stopped. This is ridiculous. I can’t keep uprooting my girls because their grandmother is a psycho.”

Sam rested his hand on her shoulder. “All the more reason to do it. I searched all day for her. I can’t find a single rehab facility that she’s in. I also can’t locate Frank.”

Clayton stepped forward. “You’ll stay with us. We have the room. The girls will be fine.” He reached for her hand. “I want to do this. I don’t want you to think about it too hard.”

She gave his hand a squeeze. “What do we tell the other parents?”

They’d ordered pizza, which Vivian hated to do for the girls, especially since they’d just eaten out a few days earlier. But there was a need to make new plans.

“
We only have three other kids, aside from your four.” She looked at Vivian and Clayton. “Two families so far are displaced. I’m going to call Ann from the rec center at home and see about integrating our kids into their program for a few weeks.”

“
What are we going to tell those families?” Vivian raised her eyebrows at the concept of just moving their business.

“
The house has been under renovation for months now. They know the work we’ve put into it. We’ll just tell them we had an issue upstairs. We can be vague.”

“
I don’t like this,” Penelope said softly. “We’ve worked so hard.”

Brock gave her shoulders a rub. “It’s temporary until we know where Stella Monroe is and what she wants.”

Vivian grit her teeth. “When I find that woman…”

Clayton had his hands on her arms. “You’ll do nothing. We let the authorities take care of it. For now, we make sure you’re not in harm’s way.”

He was logical and she didn’t know if that was a good trait or one she’d rather he lose.

Sam moved in toward the table to take another piece of pizza. “I’m going to follow up on a few leads I left untouched. Darby is being as cooperative as he can be. We’ll figure it all out.”

“
Maybe she won’t come back. It’s been over a month,” Penelope said softly. “We walked in on her—or them. Maybe they just gave up.”

Vivian wished she had Penelope’s optimism. But she didn’t. Stella Monroe had been screwing with her for over a decade. Why would she stop now?

Clayton rubbed his hands down Vivian’s arms. “Why don’t we get the girls and head to my house? We’ll stop and get some things for the night. Amelia call us when you know anything from the rec center.”

“
I will.”

Vivian gave Clayton a nod and went to find the girls who were playing with the baby toys in the infant room.

Clayton ran his fingers through his hair and looked at the other couples around the table.

“
I’ll keep her safe. But let me know where I need her to be in the morning.”

Amelia stood from her seat to meet his eye. “I don’t know why that woman would do this. Except for the money buried in this house. Vivian deserves better.”

“
I plan to give her that.”

Sam stepped in closer to Amelia. “I’m glad you happened along.” He held out his hand to shake Clayton’s.

“
I believe in fate,” he said shaking Sam’s hand.

When he walked toward the infant room, he could hear Vivian and the girls laughing as they put away the toys they’d been playing with.

“
Who’s ready to go home?” he asked and all five of them turned their eyes to him.

“
Aw uf us,” Charlotte said firmly.

“
All of us. Tonight we’re going to stay at our house.”

That put a smile on her face as she grabbed for Ava’s hand to do a little dance.

Vivian gave him a gentle smile as she continued to help the girls tidy the room.

He waited for Vivian to say her goodbyes and together they took the four girls out to their cars and buckled them in.

“
I was telling Amelia this morning that we needed a new car. A mini van or something,” she said as she closed the door on her car.

Clayton laughed. “Be careful. You’re making us sound like an old married couple.”

He walked toward her and wrapped her in his arms.

She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m beginning to think it doesn’t sound so bad.”

He slid a finger under her chin and raised it so she was looking up at him. “I’m not sure it’s worth being decent anymore. My couch isn’t so comfortable.”

He felt her swallow and then she moistened her lips. “Clayton, I don’t know. What if…”

“
What if those girls thought what they already do?” He moved his hand to cup her face. “They asked for this. They want this. I want this.”

“
What is this?”

Clayton moved in as a cool breeze swirled on the air. He pressed a kiss to her lips and let it linger just long enough to convey what he wanted it to. “This is the beginning for both of us. For them. Are you willing to start over?”

Now she shook in his arms. “It’s not over for me yet. I don’t have peace with Adam.”

“
I think you will.”

“
But his mother…”

“
Isn’t Adam.” He pressed another kiss to her lips. “Adam didn’t get the chance to see where all of his paths lead. I don’t know how you could hate him when you have Amelia and Penelope. Or Ava and Emma.”

Her lips tightened and he could see the tears swell in her eyes. “You’re one of those people who looks at everything with rose-tinted glasses aren’t you?”

He shrugged. “I would say I was. Until Linda died. I can’t find right in that. I can’t find peace in it. But when I’m with you I don’t ache. I don’t hurt. When I’m with you, I’m at peace with me.”

Vivian lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. “I think your bed
would
be more comfortable to sleep in.”