A Matter of Honesty (19 page)

Lauryn couldn‘t believe her aunt‘s generosity, but she was willing to accept it.

“Thank you.”

There was a moment of silence in which Lauryn mentally berated herself. She

looked over at Steve and Hannah before looking back at her family. “I was so

overwhelmed when I first arrived that I didn‘t introduce my guests. This is my

boyfriend Steve and his daughter Hannah.”

At the mention of her name, Hannah looked up then clambered over into

Lauryn‘s lap. Steve smiled as he spoke to everyone. Jacob, Helen‘s husband, looked at

Steve curiously.

“Do I know you?”

Steve shook his head. “Not that I know of.”

Jacob tilted his head to the side. “You look real familiar.”

Audrey nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing. I‘ve seen your face

somewhere before.”

Lauryn glanced at Steve out the corner of his eye when he stiffened slightly.

Maybe she would have to be the one to put him at ease. “He has a sporting goods store

here in Norman, D and S Sporting Goods Store.”

Jacob snapped his fingers. “That could be it. I‘m there a lot. Audrey, I‘ve

dragged you along with me a few times.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you have.”

Lauryn didn‘t miss Steve‘s small sigh of relief when Audrey saved him from any

further interrogation by standing up. “Well, let‘s eat before it gets too late.”

Had he really been bothered Jacob‘s line of questioning? She had to admit Steve

was a low-key person. It was one of the things she liked about him. She was pulled

from her internal musings as everyone headed into the dining room. The feast that

was laid out before them took her breath away. She had learned her cooking skills

from her mother, but judging by the food on the table, it was a family trait. Audrey

disappeared in the kitchen and came back with her casserole. “This smells heavenly.”

“Thank you.”

Steve leaned over to Lauryn and whispered. “I told you everything would work

out okay.”

She smiled at him. “Yes, you were right.” She placed a brief kiss on his lips.

“Thank you for being here.”

“I wouldn‘t have missed this for anything.”

Lauryn sat back as the food was served. She felt whole now. Deep down she

had a feeling that things were going to keep getting better.

Lauryn knelt before her father‘s grave to arrange the flowers she‘d brought with

her. It was the first time she had been back to his gravesite since she‘d buried him and

the first time she‘d seen the headstone she‘d purchased for him. She hadn‘t been able

to afford it until after Steve gave her a job. She‘d told Steve what she wanted to do

today and without hesitation he had nodded his understanding.

Lauryn had done some reading on her father‘s disorder. She now understood a

lot more than she had when she was younger. Maybe if she had understood some of

those things back then, life might have been a little easier growing up. She fussed

with the flowers until she could arrange them no more. Her throat clogged up and she

could feel the beginning of tears but she didn‘t want to cry.

She brushed the tears away and took a deep calming breath before standing and

sliding over a few feet. Her father had picked out a plot of land for himself next to his

wife after she had died. He hadn‘t been able to pay it off, but Lauryn had to finish the

payments so they could be buried side-by-side. She smiled and arranged the flowers

she‘d bought for her mother. “Well, look at the two of you now. I‘m sure both of you

are together again causing trouble once more. I hope you can see me now. Hopefully,

I‘ve made you proud.”

She swept away a speck of dirt on the headstone. Standing up she looked over

her shoulder at Steve and Hannah who were hanging back, giving her the privacy she

needed, and held out her hand to them. Steve pulled her to him and brushed a stray

tear off her cheek. He looked deep into her eyes. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yes, I am.”

She pulled him and Hannah forward before turning back to her parents‘

gravesites. “Steve, Hannah, these are my parents, Calleen and William. I wish the two

of you could have met them. I wish they could have met the two of you, Steve and

Hannah. They were such good people. I know we would all have gotten along.”

A light breeze began to blow. Lauryn lifted her face, looking into the blue sky

before smiling. Her parents would always be with her, even if just in spirit. Steve and

Hannah would know her parents through her. Taking a deep breath, she squared her

shoulders and took one look at her past before turning to face what she hoped was

her future. She and Steve had so much to talk about. Everything in her life seemed to

be coming together. This was just one last thing she wanted to be sure of.

“Are you ready?”

She watched Steve study her before nodding. When they reached the car she

turned for one last look at where her parents lay. She watched Steve out the corner of

her eye as they drove back to the house. The trip to the cemetery had done her some

good. Dinner with her mother‘s side of the family had done a lot of good. She had

found some of the answers she needed. Now she wanted to locate her father‘s side of

the family. Steve promised to help her if she wanted him to.

“Daddy, I‘m hungry.”

Hannah‘s voice pulled Lauryn from her thoughts. “So am I, sweetheart.”

Steve smiled at both of them. He pulled out his cell phone. She watched him

dial a number, then stick the phone to his ear. “Hey Johanna, what have you cooked?”

Lauryn didn‘t hear the response but whatever it was Steve laughed. “Well then, round

up the kids and your husband. Be at my place in half an hour. I‘m going to fire up the

grill.”

She listened to him and Johanna exchange a few more words before he

disconnected the call.

“How does grilled steaks and hamburgers sound?”

Hannah bounced up and down in glee in her car seat. “Can we have hotdogs

too?”

Steve chuckled. “Sure, why not?”

Lauryn smiled. Never had she imagined she could be this happy. She was home

and it felt good.

Lauryn awoke slowly and rolled over. The corners of her mouth curled upward

as Steve‘s arms tightened around her. He snuggled closer to her and she felt his smile

against her neck. It was later than they normally awoke in the morning, but they had

had a late night.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“Good morning.”

He shifted against her. “I guess I should get my morning kiss since Hannah will

be in here any moment now.”

She grinned. “You‘re probably right.”

Just as his lips were getting ready to meet hers, there was a knock on the door.

Steve groaned, dropping his forehead to hers and placing a quick kiss on her lips

before rolling away. She looked over at Steve as he called out to Hannah.

“Come in.”

Hannah opened the door, bouncing in the room, heading straight for Lauryn.

Hannah wrapped her arms around Lauryn‘s neck before hopping over to Steve‘s arms

and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Good morning, Lauryn. Good morning, Daddy.”

“Good morning, Hannah,” Lauryn and Steve responded in unison.

“Are we leaving for the water park now?”

Steve groaned and Lauryn laughed. Ever since Steve had told Hannah he was

going to take her to the water park it had been the number one topic. Lauryn glanced

over at the clock. It was almost nine o‘clock. If they got up and started getting ready

now they could be in Oklahoma City by noon.

“As soon as we get ready.”

With that promise made, Hannah bounced out of the bed and took off running

as soon as her feet hit the ground. Lauryn went to roll out of bed, but Steve caught her

and pulled her back down next to him. She let out a shriek of surprise.

“What are you doing?”

“Finishing my good morning greeting.”

Lauryn pushed at him playfully. “Later, or we‘ll never get out of here on time,

and you promised Hannah.”

She gasped as his hands slipped under her gown and between her legs. Before

she could react he had her underwear pushed aside and his hand on the center of her

desire.

“We can‘t,” she whispered frantically.

“Why not?”

“The door is open and Hannah is up.”

A wicked look fell across his face and he began to move his hand. “Well then,

let‘s make it quick and you can‘t make a sound.”

Lauryn wanted to protest but his touch felt so good. His mouth came down on

her and she moaned.

“Does it feel good?”

She nodded, closing her eyes and clutching the sheets, struggling to keep from

crying out. All it was going to take was a few more strokes and she was going to go

over the edge. He delivered without hesitation. Unable to help herself, she threw her

head back, her mouth falling open, a cry of pleasure ready to escape. Steve was

prepared and before any sound could escape he covered her mouth with his. She rode

the strong wave of pleasure until she was boneless. A shiver traveled through her

body and she tried to catch her breath. Steve placed another brief kiss on her lips

before getting out of bed, surprising her. She smiled at the tent in front of his boxers.

He noticed what she was looking at and smiled himself.

“Nothing a cold shower can‘t fix.”

Lauryn forced herself to sit up. “I‘ll have you know that was an evil thing to do.

If Hannah walked in—”

“She wouldn‘t have seen anything. I was blocking you from view and what I

wasn‘t hiding, the cover was. Besides, Hannah is busy getting ready. Her sole focus is

on the water park and doing whatever she needs to in order to get there.”

One corner of her mouth curved upward. “Speaking of which, I need to go

check on her and help her, and by then you should be out of the shower. If not, I‘ll use

the other.”

“Okay.”

Lauryn stopped in the doorway of Hannah‘s room and laughed to herself at the

sight of Hannah hopping up and down trying to get into her swimsuit. Lauryn caught

her just as she toppled over.

Once Hannah was fully dressed she sent her downstairs to the playroom until

she and Steve were ready. It didn‘t take long. When she got downstairs both Steve

and Hannah were waiting on her.

“Are you guys ready to go?”

Steve nodded. “Yes, we are. Are you?”

Hannah began to jump up and down, clapping her hands in excitement. Lauryn

buckled Hannah in her car seat while Steve locked up.

“All set?”

“All set.”

Hannah leaned forward. “How long until we get there?”

Steve looked at Hannah in the rearview mirror. “Hannah, if you‘re going to ask

questions all the way to the water park then we aren‘t going to go. The most

important thing is we are going. We‘ll be there soon enough. Okay?”

Hannah nodded her agreement. Lauryn reached down into the travel bag. She

handed Hannah her favorite book, which she knew would keep her busy for at least

half the trip if not more. Crayons and a coloring book would keep her busy when she

got tired of the book

“Good thinking.”

Lauryn nodded, feeling like she was starting to get a grasp on the nanny thing,

at least enough to know how to keep Hannah occupied when she needed to be.

“Thanks.”

After the Stillwater trip she was better prepared this time. Hannah was restless

when it came to long car rides, but then again, most kids were. Steve spoke again.

“How did lunch with your cousin go?”

Lauryn smiled. “It went very well.”

She had had lunch with Helen the other day. It had been nice. She enjoyed

being around family again. They were even helping her to track down her father‘s side

of her family, as was Steve. The last she‘d heard, some of his family was in Perry and

the rest were in Edna. Steve was helping her to plan a trip to both cities to see if she

could locate them in person, but she was still working up the courage to go. Thinking

that it was too quiet in the car, she turned on the radio. One of her favorite songs was

on and she began to hum to it. She felt very happy and more stable than she had in her

entire twenty-two years of life. Still, she couldn‘t fight the sense of dread she felt. Life

had never been so pleasant for her. She couldn‘t help but feel as though something

was going to go wrong. She just hoped that if it did, Steve would be there to help her

through it.

Lauryn tilted her head back under the water, washing the last of the shampoo

from her hair.

They had spent the entire day at the water park and she was bone tired. The

heat from the sun had been draining. She gasped in surprise as the shower door

opened. Steve stepped inside with nothing but a tired yet seductive smile.

“I figured we could save water.”

The corners of Lauryn‘s mouth curved upward. “Is Hannah asleep?”

“Almost in a coma.”

Lauryn laughed. She wasn‘t too far from one herself. Steve began to lather

himself up while Lauryn finished rinsing herself off. It was hard to keep her hands off

his delectable body. As a matter of fact, he looked like he could use her help. She

reached out, taking the soap from his hands.

“You keep that up and you‘re going to get yourself in trouble,” Steve growled