Tied Up In Heartstrings (18 page)

Lex is standing beside me watching the interaction, laughing. “You two are pathetic!”

“Hey guys, what are you doing in the school?” Kate, Alexis’s sister in-law, asks as she walks toward us smiling.

“We came to pick up Sierra, and Garrett insisted we come inside. I was going to call you and let you know, we’re going on a little trip today. I already told Jason earlier. Sierra and I’ll be gone till next week,” Lex tells a beaming Kate.

“REALLY? Where are you off to?” Kate doesn’t even try to hide her ‘I told you so’ smile.

“Nashville,” I say. “You guys want to come, too?”

Kate laughs. “Thanks, Garrett, No we are all good. Traveling with three little people is hard, not to mention Jason & I both have to work. Thanks for the invite, though. We’ll take a rain check during summer.” She’s probably right. I can’t imagine how much time it’ll take to get stuff for three little people when it took almost two hours just for Sierra and
Lex.

“Anytime,” I say.

Just then the door opens and my little princess runs straight for my arms, while her aunt and mom stand aside watching us. Sierra launches right into a story about her day. Ms. Davis approaches us, saying goodbye to Sierra and telling her to have a nice weekend.

“Oh, Ms. Davis, I wanted to let you know Sierra won’t be at school next week. We’re taking a little vacation. I’m sorry for the short notice, but it just came up,”
Lex is telling the teacher.

Ms. Davis surprisingly looks very pleased. “Very nice Alexis, I do hope you all have a wonderful trip,” she says, while patting Sierra’s back.

I carry my princess out of school, while holding my girl’s hand, and I’ve never felt so complete. Kate is walking us out before she has to go back into the school to pick up her children from the aftercare room where the employee’s children go until dismissal is complete. She and Alexis are talking in somewhat of a code about her mother, but I get the gist of the conversation. Kate’s also very pleased that we’re going away together and that Lex is happily embracing our togetherness. I think she really is, finally. Yesterday sucked for my girl. It made her doubt how amazingly loveable she is. I don’t ever want to see my girl that sad again.

Seeing Garrett and Sierra interact is precious. They almost speak their own language. It makes me so happy that he loves her. He told me he yesterday that he loves her instinctively, and it’s true. He’s finding his way with her, and although, it’s my nature to want to control this, I need to let go and let them form their own relationship without me taking over. Garrett wants this. Sierra needs this.

He’s carefully buckling her into her seat. He double, then triple checks to make sure she’s in snuggly. He kisses her forehead and tickles her neck, before jumping into the driver’s seat to bring us home.

When we pull in the driveway, there’s a hummer limo waiting in my driveway. Sierra is squealing with excitement! Trepidation starts to build again. “Uh Garrett, what is that doing here?” I ask.

He just shrugs. “Taking us to the airport, I suppose,” is the nonchalant answer to my question.

What the hell! A limo? Can’t we just drive like normal people? “You know, they do have parking at the airport these days. We can drive ourselves.”

He shakes his head. “No…too much work and I don’t want to leave your car there unattended that long.”

“Okay,” I concede, “but I do want to bring Sierra’s car seat.” I laugh at his confused expression. “She’s too old to have it on the plane, Garrett. She can be buckled in regular seats then. I don’t think she needs one in the limo either. We’ll just use a seat belt.” 

“Uh…no way lady, my princess will have her little pink throne,” he says, winking at Sierra, as he takes her out of her seat and spins her around.

As soon as he places her on the ground, she’s running for the parked limo. “Can I get in, Garrett?” she begs with unrestrained excitement.

“Yes, sweet girl, let me get your seat,” he says, before climbing into the back of the Jeep and unlatching her seat.

The driver opens the trunk waiting for instructions. He’s a big, muscled, well dressed guy, a lot like the security team we have on tour. I look him over and inform him, “Bags are by the front door.” He follows Lex to the door. I pick up Sierra, putting her in the limo and leaving the door open, so I can watch her while she can bounces around on the seats. She can get some energy out before I snap her cute little butt into her pink throne.

I walk toward the house to help
Lex. My lady is trying to lug bags, while the damn driver walks behind her, eye fucking her. Oh hell no! I walk straight to Lex, “No sweetheart, I got this. Go get in the car with Sierra.” I’m glaring at the asshole standing behind my girl, studying her curves, and he hasn’t noticed me, yet. Grrrr!

She smiles and kisses my cheek. “I’ll get the car seat settled,” she says cheerily, not seeing what’s happening behind her back, thankfully. She’d be a little embarrassed if she knew. I know my girl is sensitive about bringing
too much attention to herself.

She walks off toward the car. I step right in front of this asshole and speak very low, so as not to alarm my ladies. “Listen, fucker, those are my girls. You keep those eyes of yours on the road and on the fucking bags, not on my girls. Got it?”

He’s startled. That’s good, because I’m pissed. “Sorry, Mr. McKenna. Didn’t realize I was looking so closely. I’ll get the bags, sir. I’m really sorry!” I feel a little better, now that I’ve put him back in his place. I’ve never had an issue with any of my drivers before, but then again, I’ve never had Lex and Sierra with me. I’ll guard them with my damn life. I didn’t think I was the possessive type, but I guess I am. She’s mine and I don’t want anyone looking at her that way.

I pull the Jeep into the garage, lock up the house, and set the alarm. By the time I get back to the limo, the driver is standing by the open car door staring at anything other than my girls. I nod my head in approval toward him and tell him where to take us for dinner as I climb in the back. I know Sierra would like the rotating restaurant on top of the airport. I’ve heard the food is good, too. So we’ll have a nice dinner before our flight.

By the time we finish dinner and reach the plane, Sierra is winding down and getting snuggly. We pull up in front of the jet and the driver opens the door. Whitney’s car arrives right behind ours. Perfect timing. Lex looks a little surprised….

“Garrett, where are we?”  She asks staring at the jet, not moving. Scared.

“Sweetheart, we’re at the airport, getting on the plane. What’s wrong?” I ask, reaching to hold her hand, but she is incredibly rigid and tense, gripping her knees with white knuckled fingers. “Talk to me, baby. You’re making me nervous.” She’s got tears in her eyes.

Whitney reaches our car and opens the back door, irreverently joking, “Hey, guys, traveling in style? Huh?” Then she notices the look on
Lex’s face. “Hey, Sierra, come with me. Let’s go check out the plane.” She helps a clueless Sierra out of the car.

“Babe, are
you afraid to fly?” I ask her.

She shakes her head. “No, I just don’t want to fly in those type planes,” she explains, pointing to the private plane. “I want to go in a regular plane, Garrett. Not a private jet,” she pleads as tears streak down her cheeks.

Oh shit! Why didn’t I think of this? Of course, this would be traumatic for her. I’m an idiot. “Babe, I can’t take a commercial flight. It’ll be a disaster, and we don’t have security until we land in Nashville. Do you want me to book you on a commercial flight? Sweetheart, I’ll do whatever you want to make you feel better. But I’d rather you fly with me, where I can hold you.”

She takes several deep breaths, looking out the side window, watching Sierra climb the stairs with Whitney. She turns to look at me. “Is the weather okay?” she asks in a whisper.

“Yes, babe, I promise. We wouldn’t be going if it weren’t. I want to keep you safe. Always,” I say with my hands resting on hers.

“But, are we safe, Garrett?” Her eyes plead for me to reassure her.

“Yes, baby, you’re both always going to be safe with me.” She nods, just enough that I see her acceptance, and starts to slide out of the seat. I grab her by the waist and hoist her into my lap. I kiss her with all I have. I want her to feel how much I care right now. She relaxes in my arms and I feel the tension begin to dissipate. “I love you, Lex,” I whisper into her hair.

“Yes, you do,” she says, and that’s all I need to hear. I need her to know it’s true. I slide us out of the car and carry my girl up the stairs of the plane.

She’s putting on one of those fake-ish smiles, but I’m sure that’s all she has to offer right now. We’re settled in and doing the preflight stuff, as our bags are being stowed. Sierra is buckled into her seat. I’ve double checked both my girls’ seat belts. I sit in the seat next to Lex and across from Sierra and Whitney.

Thankfully, even though the tension is high, Whitney’s keeping Sierra very cheerful and distracted. They chat away about some television show and color in a book. The stewardess comes over to tell us to put the tray table away and I give her a clear ‘back off’ look, so she leaves and hasn’t asked again. I want my princess to remain distracted from the tension her Mama is feeling.

Lex lays her head on my shoulder and closes her eyes. I hate to see her stressed. I should’ve thought of this beforehand. I’ll be damn sure to work out alternate arrangements for the trip home. I rub Lex’s knee as we start taxiing down the runway. When we start for take-off I turn my head into Alexis’s ear and whisper, “You, my beautiful girl, have made my life more complete than I ever thought possible. I love you more than my life. I’ll do anything to keep you happy, healthy, and safe. Anything.” She nods at my reassurance.

“Look at me, sweetheart.” She complies quickly as we’re speeding down the runway and I feel the tires lift. “I love you…like crazy love you, sweetheart!”

The corners of her lips lift. “Yes, Garrett, I know. And clearly you know how very much I love you, too. Right?”

I give her a little smile back. “Yeah, babe. I know.”

The little one pipes right in then. “Well I love all of you, too!” She breaks the remaining tension that’s still lingering as she points to the three off us and we laugh.

I pat her little head, saying, “Back at
ya, little chick.” She giggles adorably at that.