Chapter 64 - Grandparents
"Cat, we'll get through this like everything else. I don't want you to think about Leo right now. Let's talk to Valerie and Roger about the cub and wedding." Trey had plans for Leo and was hoping he could prevent Cat from ever having to see him again.
Cat dried her tears and decided Trey was right. She wasn't going to waste any more tears on Leo. She kissed his cheek and smiled.
"You're right; let's go plan our future. I love you. You always know exactly what to do to make me feel better." Cat got off his lap and finished getting dressed.
She wanted to wear something nice to announce the good news, so she put on a royal blue sundress that she had never worn. She didn't typically wear dresses, but she liked the color of this one.
When she walked out of the closet, she posed in front of Trey, and he started laughing. He had never seen her wear a dress before. She looked so young and beautiful that it took his breath away.
"Cat, you look radiant. You should wear dresses more often." He picked her up and spun her around.
Taking Cat's lead, Trey put on a pair of dark blue slacks and a white button-up shirt. Cat smiled when she saw him. She hadn't seen him in anything other than jeans and athletic pants.
"Look at you, Mr. Lion, you look mighty handsome dressed like that. I may have to lock you up and keep you away from the prying eyes of other women." Cat walked over and put her arms around his waist.
"Don't worry, sweetheart; no one could ever compare to the beauty of my lioness. Since the first time I saw your picture, every other woman has looked like a toad." Cat laughed as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.
They walked to the main house to talk with Roger and Valerie, whom they hadn't seen since before they went to Monterey. The older couple was sitting on the back deck as they approached, and Cat ran up to Valerie to hug her.
"Cat, you look gorgeous. You're practically glowing." Valerie held her at arm's length and couldn't believe her eyes. Cat didn't look like the woman who left there a few weeks ago.
"We have so much to tell you both. Can we sit down?" Cat looked over at Roger, who was grinning at her.
"Of course. We were just talking about you two. How was the trip?" Roger looked from Trey to Cat and saw both bursting at the seams to tell them something as they sat down across from him. He also noticed that they weren't dressed in the typical jeans, meaning they wanted to talk about something important.
"As you know, we went to Monterey for a little vacation. While we were there, Trey asked me to marry him." Cat pulled out her hand and showed them the ring. Valerie jumped up and began squealing in excitement as she ran around the table to hug Trey and Cat.
Roger, too stood up and walked over to hug Trey. He wanted to hug Cat but knew she might not want him to touch her. To his surprise, she smiled and gave him a quick hug that warmed his heart. It meant a lot to him that she was comfortable enough to hug him.
"Congratulations, both of you. Have you set a date yet?" Roger walked around the table, still feeling slightly emotional from Cat's hug. He looked at the couple after he asked the question and saw them smile at each other.
"That's another thing we wanted to talk to you about. Not only are we getting married, but we're also having a baby. I'm pregnant." Roger and Valerie both looked at them in shock. It was Roger, who had tears in his eyes.
"I'm going to be a grandpa?" He asked quietly. Even though neither Trey nor Cat was his child, he felt like both of them were part of his family. Cat smiled when she saw his tears and got up from the table to walk over to him.
"Yes, you're going to be a grandpa, Roger." Cat gave him another hug, a little longer than the last one. After seeing a grown man cry over the thought of being a grandparent, how could she not hug him? He was the closest she'd ever had to a father.
"You just made this old man extremely happy." Roger dried his tears, a little embarrassed to have shown so much emotion in front of everyone. Valerie was sitting next to him in tears as Cat hugged her. Who knew that taking on Cat's case a few months ago would lead to her changing the lives of every one of them?
"Now we have a few favors to ask of you." Trey said when Cat sat back down next to him.
"Right now, you could ask me for anything you want, and I will say yes." Roger smiled at the two people who had just given them something he and Valerie had always wanted, family.
"We want to get married before the baby comes, and we would like to have a small wedding here on your property." Trey watched both of them and saw their smiles spread across their faces.
"You want to have it here? That would be perfect. This is the best time of year, with all the flowers in bloom. Cat, are you ready to start planning now?" Valerie couldn't believe they were going to have their wedding there. She felt like Christmas had come early with all the surprises Trey and Cat had given them.
"Yes, but I have one more question to ask Roger." She looked over at him and smiled. "Would you please walk me down the aisle?"
Roger, once again, was left speechless. He and Valerie had dreamt for years of becoming parents and having a big family; however, that was not in the stars for them. Now this young woman comes into their lives and is marrying Trey, giving them a grandchild, and asking him to give her away at the wedding. Cat was like an angel that was answering all his prayers.
"I would be honored to walk you down the aisle." Roger croaked out the words trying to hold back more tears of happiness. He didn't want everyone to think he was a blubbering idiot.
"Cat, come with me, and let's start planning." Valerie took her hand and led her into the house. She was so happy they included them in their plans. She loved them both as if they were her children. They may want a small wedding, but Valerie was going to make sure it was spectacular for them.
Roger watched the women go inside with a smile on his face. He knew Valerie was just as happy as he was with everything Cat and Trey had revealed. They were getting a family, and he couldn't have asked for anything better.
"Roger, I need to talk to you. I've decided to take some time off from the department. I would like at least a year to help Cat get everything settled with the group home and the baby." Roger smiled at him and nodded. He had expected this, especially since he knew Trey didn't have to work.
"You can take as much time as you need. In fact, I may be taking some time off too. I need to have plenty of time to spoil the baby." Roger looked away dreamily as he thought of everything he could do with his grandchild. He didn't care if they had a boy or girl as long as they called him grandpa.
"Thank you. Our children will be lucky to have grandparents like you and Valerie. I have one other favor to ask. The prosecutor called Cat this morning and said that Leo doesn't want to make a deal. They want Cat to testify. I don't want her to go through a trial, especially while pregnant. I don't need you to do anything other than give me the schedule of when he will be transported from the jail to the courthouse. I don't want to get you into trouble, so I'm not saying anything other than don't be surprised if Leo disappears."
Roger nodded his understanding. He may be a sergeant and play everything by the book, but there was no reason for that scum to continue breathing the same air as his victims. Knowing everything that he did to Cat was enough for him to kill the dirtbag himself.
"We never had this conversation. I will give you what you want, but not electronically. I will leave it at your door." Trey sighed in relief. He would do the same with Caleb, but that would be too suspicious. Leo was the cause of everything bad that had happened to Cat, and it was time for him to pay. Caleb's payday would come later.
