Clearwater’s Redemption by Tiffany Casper

Chapter 18

Fiona

Since the diner was only a ten-minute drive Knox had given in this one time and agreed to drop me off and pick me up on his bike for my very last shift at the diner.

I may have used a blow job to get my way but I had won.

A family came, when I made it over there to them I said, “Hey y’all I’m Fiona and I’ll be your waitress. Can I start y’all off with some drinks?”

“Now see, this is why I want to move down here.” The woman said. “Y’all are nice and I love the accents.”

Smiling, I said, “Well, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

Just as I was taking their drink orders, I looked up to tell them something, and froze when I saw Cole and a woman on his arm. It was Stacy, she and I had been in the same grade in high school.

“Take a seat. Be with y’all in a moment.” What I really wanted to tell them was to get the fuck out of here. Knox was definitely rubbing off on me.

After I sat their drinks down, got their orders to Randy, I walked over to Cole’s table.

“Cole, what are you doing here?”

Without missing a beat he said, “Fiona, I made a mistake. I want you back.”

I stared at him and gaped. For three seconds before I bent forward and laughed so hard I almost peed my panties.

“Cole, what are you saying? I’m sitting right here.” Stacy waved her hand in front of his face.

Cole ignored her as his eyes locked on me. “It's not a laughing matter Fiona.

“Yes it really is. You honestly think I would ever take you back? Have you been drinking some strong ass kool-aid?”

“No, I miss what we had. I miss it all. I understand where you were coming from now, and I am fully capable of committing to that.”

“Trust me Cole, whatever I saw in you is long gone. So far gone that I just pity you. You had a good woman in me. So good that had you cared just the smallest amount, you would’ve had gold.”

His face turned red, “Pity me?”

“Yes, because there you sit with the whore of our high school and here I am loving life and so thankful for it.

Haughtily, Stacy stood from the booth, “Bitch, It’s not my fault that men love my body.”

Smirking, I said, “Love your body? Honey, you look like a fake, caked-up Barbie doll.”

“I look good enough that I even took your man.” Yeah the she bitch was out in full form today.

“Yeah, you did take that.” I pointed at Cole, but then I smiled as I heard Knox’s bike pull in front of the diner.

“But you see I’m good enough to get that.” I smiled as I pointed at Knox when he just stepped through the doors to the diner to give me a ride home. Since today was my last day.

He ignored everyone in the diner as his massive legs ate up the distance in front of me.

“How’s my baby?” He asked as he placed one of his big hands protectively over my stomach.

Sighing, I said, “Ready to let its momma get off her feet.”

“Hey, you interrupted our conversation,” Cole said nasally.

I watched Knox turn his head slowly to look at my ex, “Was that ass-kicking the first time not good enough for you?”

However before either man could say another word, I turned my head to the newest arrival that had just walked in the diner, I froze.

It was Sorcha, and she had what looked to be a three-year-old boy on her hip. I looked at the boy, then looked at Cole and muttered, “Only sleeping my ass.”

At that Knox chuckled then winked at me with a smile.

I lived for those smiles. When he flashed one, nothing else seemed to matter. In fact I had been oblivious to what was happening until I heard something shatter.

I looked over and saw that Stacy had thrown her plate on the floor. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Sorcha?” Cole asked as he stared.

“Hi dirtbag. Meet your son.” Sorcha said with a sneer.

I sat down on one of the barstools as Knox leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his massive chest as he watched the entire show play out before us.

“Hey, Liv, mind grabbing me a slice of apple pie and some pickles?”

“Those pregnancy cravings, I don’t miss those. One sec.” She turned as she grabbed me a plate and set my slice of pie, and some pickles.

When I grabbed my fork, got a pickle and some pie, put it in my mouth, I moaned.

Looking over at Cole it was to see that his jaw was hanging open, “Your… your pregnant?”

“Yep. My husband has some super swimmers.” I grinned as I grabbed another bite

“You married… that?”

“Sure did. And it was the best decision of my life.”

“So you wouldn’t give it to me, but you gave it to that piece of…” I dropped my plate on the counter behind me, stormed over, pulled my arm back and punched him.

“Don’t you speak about him as if you know him. You don’t know a goddamn thing about him. I thank God every single day for that man. He loves me. He cherishes me. You don’t even deserve to breathe the same air that he does.”

“Yes, we are moving down here.” The woman squealed as she dipped another fry in her ketchup while she watched the entire thing unfold right in front of her,

“You told me you didn’t have any kids.” Stacy stared at the little boy in Sorcha’s arms

“Well he wouldn’t have had he not put something in my drink when I showed up to wait for Fiona.”

Snarling, I was about to punch Cole again, until Knox wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him, whispering, “Calm.” Then he tapped my wrist over my crow.

Turning my head, it was to see the darkness in his eyes, I swallowed then nodded. For that act, Cole would be meeting his maker. And soon.

“I’m out of here. You creep.” Stacy strode out of the diner.

Cole then ran after her trying to apologize. He was such an asshat.

Over the next few weeks, Sorcha and I had reconnected, she had told me that she didn’t remember sleeping with Cole, but she did admit that she had felt off when she had awoken that next morning. I had already been at the diner when she had left all those years ago.

I had actually thanked her for opening my eyes somewhat. She had felt horrible but it really wasn’t her fault.

A few days later I stood at the kitchen counter when there was a breaking news story on the television. Normally I didn’t pay them any mind, not until I saw the picture that flashed up on the screen. It was Cole.

I turned my head to see my man that had just walked out of the nursery after hanging a drawing that Shiloh had made for us, over her crib. We were almost ready for our baby’s arrival.

There on his left bicep was another crow.

I didn’t like that he killed people. However what I did like was that my man wasn’t afraid to take out the trash. And any man that would rape someone and use a drug to do it, well he was trash.

I walked over to him, smiled, stood on my tiptoes, and kissed him.

Then when I pulled away, his face had softened, I tapped the newest crow on his arm and winked at him.

However, I didn’t make it far from him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulled me to his front, bent, and placed his face in my neck as he whispered, “Love you Fi.”

“Love you too Knox.” I whispered right back.

Just as I had done that, there was a knock on the door. Kida immediately walked over to the front door and growled.

Knox stepped around me, checked the door, then he flung it open, “Jacob.”

“So this is what you spent a small amount of that money on?” I raised a brow at Knox. Curious as to who this person was, was this the same Jacob that he had told me about?

“Suits me.” He said as he stepped aside and allowed him to enter, at that move Kida quit growling but he padded over to me and placed himself between me and the man.

“And who is this?’ He asked as he looked at me with Kida at my feet.

“Fiona. My wife.” Knox stated proudly.

I saw his jaw drop at that. “Why didn’t you invite me to your wedding?”

I couldn’t help the chuckle that came out, “We eloped. My man isn’t for big crowds.”

“Fiona, this is Jacob, this is the man I was telling you about.”

Smiling, I walked over to him and hugged him, I whispered, “Thank you for always having his back.”

When I pulled away, he looked down at my belly, his eyes grew wide as he turned his head to glare at Knox. “And y’all are expecting and I didn’t even get a fucking phone call?”

“Brother…”

“I know how you are Knox, hell if you were on your deathbed you still wouldn’t call.”

“Well I’ll call you from now on.” I reassured him.

“Good. You better.” He said angrily.

“So let me ask another question, I tried to send you your check, only it came back. Want to tell me why it came back because you now have a middle name on your account?”

Knox looked at me with so much love in his eyes, “Fiona.”

Jacob then turned his head, looked at me with an amount of respect, then said, “You ever need me, you call. Don’t give a fuck what it is.”

And that was also how I learned that Jacob was actually Jacob Alexander Cleland, one of the richest men in the world.

Turning my head to see Sorcha walk in through the back door with Saxon holding on to her finger I smiled. When I turned my head back to the men it was to see Jacob’s eyes locked squarely on her.

Well then…