Chapter 88: New Year's Eve
*Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Make it a good one. – Brad Paisley*
Helen and her kids had always stayed up together on New Year’s Eve. This year was no different.
The situation was different. But the traditions remained the same.
Dick Clark was gone, but they still watched the ball in Times Square. Jolene didn’t have anyone to kiss at midnight. Ty offered.
“It would be like kissing my brother-in-law.” She said hoarsely. “And don’t even offer, Reese. You’re practically my stepdad.”
“I wasn’t going to offer myself. I would offer one of your guards, but it’s all hands-on deck. Cheryl’s brothers are in town.”
“What about Neo?” Dean asked with a grin.
“Who’s Neo?” the night nurse, Violet, asked. Like the other nurses, she wore a superhero scrub shirt and black pants.
“Snake tattoo.” Dean said, motioning to her left hand.
“He’s hot.” Violet said and fanned herself with her papers.
“Hell, yeah he is.” Bunny agreed. “Like make a straight guy gay and a lesbian straight.”
“Momma always said he could give a nun a reason to confess.” Dean added as Ty and Jaxon both agreed.
“I guess I haven’t met him.” Helen said softly.
“You have.” Ty said. “I don’t think that you remember him because you were worried about Jolene. And your goo-goo eyes are focused on Reese.”
“Oh.” She blushed and Reese kissed the top of her head as she sat in his lap on the hospital couch.
“He came by the first day Jolene had guards.” He gently reminded her.
Helen was about to ask a question when the door opened, and JD walked in. Right behind him was a woman only a few years older than him carrying an infant.
“Helen?” the woman asked, and Helen nodded. “My name is Summer. Summer Dunning.”
Helen stiffened for a moment. Then she remembered that from Robert Dunning, she received three beautiful children. He was Summer’s problem now. And she could keep him.
“I came to introduce myself and let you know that I’m joining the ex-Mrs. Dunning club.” A tear slid down her cheek and JD rubbed her back.
Dean stood up and took the baby bundled in pink from the woman. Helen stood up and hugged her as she cried. As much as she wanted to hate the other woman, it was hard to do. Robert Dunning was an asshole to the infinity degree. And Summer, although old enough to be a mother, was little more than a child herself.
“I never knew…. He said that it was a technical error as to why you weren’t divorced.” Summer sniffled.
“Bob has a way of letting you know only what he thinks you need to know.” Jaxon complained. “His lies catch up to him and all he does is create more.”
Summer nodded. “I recently found out that if he divorced you before his father died, he got cut out of the will. He had to have two legitimate sons to inherit. I’m so sorry.”
“Shhhhh…” Helen soothed. She had heard it all before. She had done everything in her power to keep her kids from hearing it. Whenever Harold Dunning had demanded that they appear before him as a family, Bob came home for a few days. If Bob had too much to drink, Helen was reminded that everything she had was because of him.
And her job was to give him sons and raise them. He never hit the kids, but the fear that he would was never far from her mind. When he was not around, she encouraged all three kids in their interests and sports. If Bob was around, they quickly learned to be quiet and seen only as perfect angels.
“I thought he loved me.” Summer sobbed. “I thought he loved us.”
JD continued to rub her back but met his mother’s eyes. “He said that he wouldn’t make the same mistake with this daughter. He would find someone to train her into submission like your father did.”
He took a shaky breath and looked at his older sister. “If he had you trained, you would have known better, and Hank would not have had to beat you so bad. A small beating now and then, just to remind you who was in charge.”
“Mom.” Jaxon asked quietly and she closed her eyes in shame.
“I was glad when he moved out after JD was born. He would come to see you boys on the weekends.” Her voice cracked. “I would not let him take Jolene. I was afraid of what would happen to her.”
JD and Jaxon both wrapped their arms around their mother and stepmother. Jaxon kissed the top of Helen’s head before resting his chin on it. JD mirrored his actions with the other woman.
“I hate to intrude, but I think I have to.” Bunny said as she approached the group. “JD, how did Summer end up with you?”
“She called me, crying, asked me to come get her and…. Crap. I don’t even know my sister’s name.”
“Jessibelle.” Summer said softly. “I wanted to stick with the J's.”
Helen laughed. “That probably pissed Bob off.”
“It did.” The other woman agreed.
“I did the J's because I wanted to name a little girl Jolene. Bob insisted that they all have the same initials. Jaxon Daniel. Jolene Denise. Jonathan David.”
“Jessibelle Diane.”
“Did he hurt you or Jessibelle?” Bunny pressed.
“He was dragging Summer across the floor as she was protecting Jessibelle.” JD confirmed. “I may have punched him.”
Summer gave a soft snort.
“A few times.” He added.
“Willow,” Reese said into his phone. “I need a lawyer for JD. Self-defense and protecting his little sister. And a divorce lawyer for his stepmother. And do we have an apartment available?”
He gave a soft chuckle. “Good answer. I’ll have Bunny do the intake. Love you too, princess.”
Bunny grinned at him as he ended the call. “Let me guess, she won’t tell you if anyone is in the apartments.”
“Nope. I no longer even have security codes.”
“Before I can do an intake, Summer, I need to know that you want to leave your husband and that you fear for both you and your child.”
“Yes.” Summer sobbed. “I’m scared of him. I don’t want Jessie to suffer. But I don’t… I don’t have anywhere to go.”
Bunny chuckled. “Lucky for you, I do.” She pulled out her emergency phone and dialed the Center’s phone number. “I need an intake kit for a one and one. Summer, how old is the baby?”
“Five months.” Summer said softly.
“F-5, full work up. Burner and overnight. Secure location.” She listened for a moment and then rattled off some more letters and numbers that made sense only to Bunny and the other person on the phone.
Ending the call, she placed the phone back in her bag and pulled out her badge, credentials and gun. Clipping her gun on her belt, she slipped the badge on the chain over her neck.
“Do you feel comfortable leaving Jessie with her siblings while we go talk?” Bunny asked gently.
“Yes.” Summer responded but her hand fisted JD’s shirt tightly.
“Would you feel better if JD went with us?” Bunny asked noticing the action and the way the younger man rubbed her back in comfort.
Summer nodded but did not verbally answer this time.
“JD, are you okay with that?” Bunny asked, trying to convey that he needed to remain calm and in control of himself.
“Yeah.” He answered and Reese cleared his throat. “I meant, yes, ma’am.”
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