Safe Harbor (The Lake Trilogy, Book 3) Read online

  “No, I’m not. I will never apologize for committing my life to you. I’ll never apologize for loving you.” Will pulls me tighter to him and kisses the top of my head. “I love you so much.”

  “So when do we leave for our honeymoon?” I ask in jest, thinking it’ll be fun to engage Will in some conversation about our future.

  “I wish! You have no idea how I wish!” he chuckles.

  “Well…can I at least start introducing myself as Layla Meyer? Hi, I’m Layla Meyer, it’s nice to meet you? See, doesn’t that sound great?”

  “It sounds like heaven!” he says, squeezing me tighter to him.

  “I guess we better head back. Reality is waiting.” I sigh, feeling sadness come over me that our imaginary wedding is over.

  “Hey,” Will says as he lifts my chin so our eyes meet. “Don’t think this didn’t mean anything. I meant it when I said I couldn’t wait a year to marry you. I love you, Layla, and while I can’t wait to make it official, I don’t need a piece of paper to commit myself to you. In my heart, you are my wife.”

  “But it still doesn’t change why you won’t, you know…” I’m a little embarrassed as the words leave my mouth. So embarrassed that I can’t even form the words sleep with me or make love, but Will knows exactly what I mean.

  “There’s honor in waiting for something so valuable. I want you, Layla. Believe me. I. Want. You. But I want you to look at me as a man who has character, integrity, and honor more. We’ll get to the other, but if I don’t have your trust now, I never will.”

  “I do see you that way, and I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted anyone. Don’t worry. I’m a convert. I’d have a hard time saying no if you wanted to have your way with me right now, but…I’d still say no. I look forward to the perfect day when it’s right.” I reach behind his head and grab a fist full of his hair. I want him to really hear what I have to say. “What you did today was the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me. We’ve been through more than two people should have to just so we can be together. I’ve worried and struggled and been fearful, and it’s been difficult at times. You need to know that you made all of that go away today. Thank you. I love you.”

  I kiss him. I kiss him with everything in me. I kiss him like our lives depend on it. I kiss him like a wife kisses her husband, because that’s what he is to me. No legal documents, preacher, or witnesses necessary. Today we exchanged vows and committed our lives to each other. No matter what happens from this point on, we can do anything.

  Will has more than proven his unfailing love for me and I’m going to stand by him and support him as we reclaim the life we were meant to have. I’m an expert at that, actually. I worked hard to take back the life that Gram stole from me, and we’ll do the same thing with the life his father took from us.

  I struggled for so long with the truth that I have a life with Will because my parents died that horrific night. I thought that I didn’t deserve anything good that came to me as a result of my life being turned upside down. I know now that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I had everything good and wonderful ripped away from me when I was just a little girl. Was I meant to suffer for the rest of my life because of that? No, and I realize that more than ever as I stand here with the man I was born to love. Life is not perfect. It never will be. If we take the terrible things that happen to us in life as some sign that we’re destined to be doomed forever, well, that’s not a life at all.

  Sometimes life really can be a series of misfortunate events. What we turn those events into is what matters most. I could have lived like the weird, reclusive girl I had initially planned on being when I moved to Davidson, but I’m so glad I didn’t. Will and Luke and Claire all looked at me and saw who I could be, drawing me out and helping me find myself again. My life and my future are embraced in my arms right now and I wouldn’t change a single thing that brought me to him.

  Will brushes my cheek with his thumb as we release each other. We seem to let out a simultaneous sigh, both feeling the high of our private wedding of sorts. As we stroll back down along the path to the car, I can’t help but think about the next steps. Will and I are solid and nothing is going to change that, but there is still so much to be done, so much to consider.

  “What now?” I ask him. “I know we’re finishing the semester, but is there a target date for moving back?”

  “Well, there’s a lot that has to happen first, at least before anyone knows we’re there. Luke is working with Holly on preparing her defense. He’s bringing in some people who will speak to my father’s tactics of coercion and manipulation. He’s made the same deal with the prosecuting attorney as he had with Agent Croft and his team. Wes, Taylor, and Cline will testify in exchange for immunity.”

  “I should hope so. They were all victims of his coercion themselves.” I’m relieved. The idea of Wes being punished for what Meyer made him do is infuriating and I think I could actually throw up if I consider it much longer. “But what’s the point of having them testify? Holly did it.”

  “Luke is trying to get her the minimum sentence or a conviction on a lesser charge. He’s hoping that if the judge can see the lives my father destroyed, he’ll go easy on her. So that means that at some point…”

  “You and your mom will have to testify. Wow. How’s your mom doing with that?” I can’t imagine having to sit up there and tell of all the ways my husband disrespected and abused me. She may have to listen to how Meyer used Wes, too. Her worlds are going to collide and I’m not sure if she’s strong enough yet to handle it.”

  “I haven’t told her yet. I think we’re going to have to get through the press conference first. Claire suggested having someone from Victim’s Assistance help walk her through how to give that kind of testimony, and Luke will help her with what to say to the press if she has to say anything at all.” Will’s face is somber, thinking about what his mother is about to endure.

  “She’s going to do great, Will,” I say with as much confidence as I can. “This is it. Once she steps down from the stand, she never has to talk or even think about him again. There’s finality and closure to this, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, there is,” Will says. I can tell he wants to end this conversation. His answers usually get short when he’s nearing the edge.

  “Do you know what you’re going to say to the press?” I wonder. Surely he and Luke have discussed what to say, which exact words to use and which ones to avoid. There’s a system for speaking to the press. You can’t be transparently honest or they’ll take things out of context, especially in scenarios like this.

  “We’re going to be truthful, but protective. The last thing I want is for the press to hound my mom about how awful my dad was to her. And I certainly don’t want them coming after you. So, we have to give information without telling them everything. Luke’s a master at that, so I feel pretty confident going into it.”

  “So, I already asked this, but, when? When is all this going down?”

  “We don’t have a target date, but with the semester ending May tenth, I’m guessing we’ll be back in Davidson by Memorial Day.”

  “And…when will Luke hold the press conference?” I’m just as unsure about this as Will seems. It’s all becoming so real.

  “I don’t know. We’re still ironing that out.” We stop at the car and Will presses his body to mine as my back leans against the car. “So…do you think today will hold you over for a little while until the real thing?” Will is done talking about the heaviness upon us. He’s good at changing the subject abruptly, but always to something I want to talk about so I’m engaged right away.

  “Hmmm…maybe,” I tease.

  “Maybe?” Will says, poking my ribs causing me to twist in tickled agony.

  “Yes! Yes! Today held me over! It did! Stop!” I’m laughing and crying all at the same time. Will finally stops and presses his lips against mine in a hard kiss.

  “Good! I love you, Layla, so much, and I cannot wait until
our real wedding. It’s going to be the most amazing day ever. And…I think you’re going to be pretty happy with the honeymoon, too!” Will gives me a smoldering look that is so unfair.

  “Will Meyer! You better stop with all the honeymoon talk! You finally got me to agree that waiting was the best thing, so don’t go mucking it up by making me think about it!”

  “Alright, alright. But just so you know…” He tucks my hair behind my ear and moves his mouth to where his lips are touching my ear and whispers, “I think about it all the time.”

  I feel the blood rush to my cheeks and my body temperature starts to overheat in an instant. Of course he thinks about it. He’s a guy! I hadn’t really thought about him thinking of me like that until now, but he does. Does he dream of us on our honeymoon the way I do? Does he think about what it will be like, feel like, to be as close as two people can possibly be? Tears fill my eyes as I think about that beautiful moment, and how unconditional it will be.

  “Oh, babe, did I say something wrong?” Will wipes my tears and holds my face.

  “No, not at all. I’m just really, really happy,” I say through the tears of joy.

  “I’m happy, too. C’mon…let’s go be happy at home.”

  We drive home listening to music, stopping most of the songs halfway through to skip to another favorite. I play my Avett Brothers albums, skipping to some of my favorites like I and Love and You and the sentimental version of Swept Away.

  “Oh, I love this one!” I say excitedly.

  “You love the song about chickens and milking cows?” Will teases. He really loves the Avett Brothers, too, but likes to pretend to give me a hard time.

  “You’re about to introduce a band to me that dresses in leather and huge platform boots, and wears makeup as a part of some weird characters they play on stage. You’re really going to give me a hard time about the American heritage of farming?” Will is still giving me music lessons and says next week I’ll be learning all about KISS. I’m not sure how I feel about that one but I promised Will at our first lesson that I would always be willing to learn.

  We spend the rest of the short drive home laughing and singing and teasing each other when we sing the lyrics we think are right but really aren’t. It’s a beautiful afternoon of normalcy between two people in love; so normal that I almost forget about the logistical nightmare that lies ahead of us.

  *****

  We walk into the house and I immediately hear Luke’s voice. I never know when he’s going to be home from his jaunts to Charlotte to meet with Holly, so I’m pleasantly surprised because this time he was only gone two days.

  “Where have you two been? Class let out hours ago,” Claire inquires as she unloads the dishwasher. She’s wearing running shorts and a t-shirt that I think used to be Luke’s, telling by its size. I love watching Claire do mundane things. It’s a reminder that it is possible to step aside from the drama that always seems to be unfolding.

  “We had to make a little stop,” Will tells her. He squeezes my hand and gives me a wink. I think we’ve both made an unspoken agreement to not tell anyone about our practice wedding today. I’m glad because it’s been a long time since I’ve had something to share with just him. So much has happened that we’ve had to share almost every detail of our relationship with at least Luke and Claire.

  “Oh,” Claire says. She looks a little perplexed as to where we could possibly have to go. She doesn’t ask and I can only assume it’s because we now live in a world where there is no threat to us.

  “I’m glad you’re back, Will. I’ve got to lay out some plans for Holly’s sentencing hearing. You want to grab something to drink and meet me in the office?” Luke heads for the office but Will stops him.

  “We can meet here in the kitchen, unless there are too many files to drag in here.” Will gives me a soft smile, letting me know that we are most definitely in this together.

  “Sure,” Luke says with a nod. He’s seen the way Will is looking at me and knows that Will is officially done trying to do this on his own.

  Will is taking our vows seriously and my heart fills. It means so much to me that I push to my toes and wrap my arms around Will’s neck. “Thank you,” I whisper in his ear.

  “So what’s going on? How’s Holly?” Will asks.

  My heart sinks for a moment when Will inquires about Holly. I float between feelings of gratitude and hatred for her. I’m grateful that she’s rid the world and our lives of the torment of Gregory Meyer, but the wrench she’s thrown into us moving forward with our lives is infuriating at times. I also can’t rid my mind of the fact that she led Will to believe that she really cared for him when it was really another ploy by her mother to infiltrate the Meyer’s lives. Will still thinks that she was as innocent as I was in the attacks his father launched. If I’m honest, that is what really makes me hate her.

  “She’s doing fine. She knew what she was doing and is ready to accept the consequences, although it wasn’t as premeditated as it looked. She saw what was unfolding with the delays in the trial and made a snap decision. She didn’t even know about juror number four going missing. So, I’m working to get the charges changed from murder to manslaughter, or at least the lowest sentence as possible, which is what I need to talk to you about,” Luke tells us. “I’m going to call some witnesses that you and Eliana need to know about ahead of time. These witnesses will speak to the abusive behavior of your father, which will hopefully raise some sympathy in the jury. I’ve got to paint Holly almost as a hero. “Luke looks at me, seeing the disgust spreading across my face. I turn to get something from the fridge so Will won’t see, but Luke knows exactly what’s going through my mind. “It’s not going to be pretty.”

  “I can handle it, Luke,” Will says with a stone face.

  “I’m going to call your father’s ex-wives.”

  “I kind of figured you would,” Will says. “Do you think all three of them will be willing to testify?”

  “Actually, all four of them.” Luke’s delivery is slow.

  “Mom isn’t his ex, Luke. She’s technically his widow,” Will says, correcting Luke’s mistake.

  “I’m not referring to her,” Luke says with his own stone face.

  “What are you saying, Dad?” I ask. Will seems stunned, his forehead creasing.

  “Greg was married for a brief time in college,” Luke says.

  “I’m not surprised. I guess he began his parade of arm candy earlier than we all thought.” Will isn’t fazed by this information. At this point, I can’t think of much that would be shocking to find out about Will’s father. “I am a little surprised that we’re just finding this out. Dad never made excuses for any of his womanizing, or any of his behavior for that fact.”

  “This…this was different,” Luke begins. He’s hesitant. I’ve never seen Luke hesitant like this. He’s usually so confident and I’m slightly worried.

  “What do you mean it was different?” Will asks.

  “Well, her name is Loretta. Apparently they met their sophomore year and fell in love almost immediately. They dated for two years and got married right before their senior year.”

  “So you’ve spoken with her already?” Will asks.

  “Yes,” Luke answers.

  “Why are you telling me this? I’m assuming all his exes share a similar story. He married them, used them, and then threw them away,” Will says, still not seeing the pertinence of this conversation.

  “Her story is a little different, Will, and you need to know before Eliana does. I’m not sure how she’s going to take it.”

  “What’s so different about her story?” I ask. I’m becoming fearful for Will and Eliana. What could possibly be different? Gregory Meyer made it clear that he’s a cold-hearted man with no use for women beyond photo ops and personal pleasure.

  “The way Loretta describes Greg, it’s like she’s talking about an entirely different person…at least at the beginning of their story.” Luke takes a deep breath. “She
told me of a man who brought her flowers, took her on romantic dates, and even asked her father for her hand in marriage.”

  Will and I stand there, mouths open in astonishment. The man just described is nowhere close to the Gregory Meyer we knew. This man shows signs of having a heart and the ability to love and put someone before himself. I see a look of sadness wash over Will and I know what he’s thinking. All this time we thought he wasn’t capable of love, but he was. He chose to give love to someone, and then chose to withhold it from everyone else.

  “If he was this wonderful person, what happened?” I ask. Will still isn’t able to speak.

  “Greg was beginning an internship at his first choice firm. They only took a few interns and he, of course, gave a stellar interview and got one of the three open spots. Well…Loretta got pregnant and had some complications. She ended up on bed rest and she needed Greg to be there. At first he was fine with being there. He was concerned for Loretta and their baby. But…he was frequently late or having to leave his internship early. He wasn’t burning the midnight oil like the other interns were. Eventually the firm let him go and he was left without an internship for the remainder of the semester. Apparently his advisor gave him hell for getting fired from the internship and promised him that unless he made some serious changes, he’d be lucky to find placement with the public defender’s office.

  “Something just clicked in him and he became resentful toward Loretta and the baby. He became verbally and sometimes physically abusive. When she was seven months pregnant, Loretta couldn’t take any more and she left him. He never went after her,” Luke explains.

  I remember the day Meyer told us about his father. How he could have been something brilliant…a doctor, I believe…but that he let love get in the way of pursuing his dreams. That he watched his father work his fingers to the bones on his family’s farm and never had anything to show for it. It was then that Meyer made it clear it wasn’t that Will wanted me, it was that Will was pursuing love, and that was going to get in the way of him pursuing and fulfilling his destiny. It sounds like Meyer didn’t always believe that. That maybe there was a time when he thought he could have a life of love with Loretta and an uninterrupted destiny.