Securing Trust

VIOLET

The thrill of having Callum back home is almost too much to bear. We rise early, at the crack of dawn, and spend the morning in the girls’ room, playing and laughing.

Callum is on the floor with the girls, their laughter echoing around the room as they play on the soft mat. I stand behind him, my fingers gently combing through his messy hair.

He’s been saying it needs a trim, but I adore it just the way it is. It’s long enough for me to run my fingers through.

“God, I’ve missed you guys. Look at you, Tilly. You’re sitting up all by yourself. And that smile, Ella.”

“What smile?” I question, taken aback. I glance at Ella, but she’s not exactly smiling. She’s smirking, just like Zach does.

“Don’t mess with me like that. I’ve been trying to get her to smile for days,” he chuckles, the sound of his deep laughter making my heart skip a beat.

“It’s okay, Violet. She’ll smile soon,” he comforts me. I hope so. She turned twelve weeks old last weekend, and from what I’ve read, babies start to smile around this time.

“So, how did yesterday go?” he inquires, shifting the topic. I move from behind him to sit on his lap, handing Tilly her favorite duck toy.

“What do you mean?” I question, puzzled.

“Zach mentioned you were going to be alone with Tilly for the first time,” he clarifies, giving Ella a sheep-shaped rattle. She gazes at it for a moment before shaking it. Unlike Tilly, she doesn’t smile or laugh. She just stares at it, as if trying to decipher it.

“It was good. I went to Carla’s and spent the day with her, Liz, and Daniel,” I inform him. At the mention of Daniel, Callum stiffens. He tries to conceal it, but I can feel it.

“I still don’t have feelings for him, Callum.”

“I know, baby,” he responds, but his body language tells a different story.

“Then why do you tense up every time I mention his name?” I question. He sighs and shrugs, avoiding my gaze.

“He’s your age…sometimes I think you’d be better off with someone your own age,” he confesses. His words catch me off guard.

“Callum, I’m happy with you. I love you. Please don’t doubt that.”

“I know, baby, I know,” he responds, but the frown on his face doesn’t fade. He’s looking at me, but it feels like he’s looking through me. It’s disconcerting. What can I do to reassure him?

Marry him? Have more children? Make love to him? I’d do all of that and more if it would make him feel more secure.

“You’ve been away too long,” I tell him. He sighs, looking at me for a long moment before speaking again. The silence is uncomfortable, a stark contrast to our usual easy banter.

“I have a meeting at nine. I need to debrief the team. Let’s go downstairs and make breakfast for the girls before I have to leave,” he suggests, trying to lighten the mood.

“Only if you promise to stop worrying about me leaving you for a younger man, Mr. Farren,” I tease him.

“I’ll try, baby,” he promises, pulling me into a passionate kiss that leaves me breathless.

Breakfast is a more relaxed affair. The girls are in their high chairs, sharing toast with Callum while I eat my granola and yogurt. I’ve been trying to eat healthier since the gym was finished. I work out with Lilly twice a week, on Sundays and Fridays. It’s not much, but it’s a start.

“Wow, Tilly, you’re really hungry this morning,” Callum laughs, handing her another piece of toast.

“She likes it just like you do, smothered in butter.”

“That’s the best way, isn’t it, Tilly?” he asks, making her giggle. I watch him interact with the girls, sipping his coffee. I realize how much I’ve missed these mornings with him.

You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. This has always been our routine while the boys are at work early in the morning. I love it. It’s almost nine when Catherine walks into the kitchen, followed by Arnold.

“Could you make some wraps for the guys for lunch, please?” Arnold asks, almost pleading. Everyone loves Catherine’s cooking, but I suspect they also come by to check on me. I’ve overheard parts of their conversations. They all seem to be concerned about me and my discomfort around men.

“Good morning, Callum. It’s good to have you back,” Catherine greets us, ignoring Arnold.

“Boss,” Arnold nods at Callum. “Violet,” he greets me, standing next to the island. I can’t help but move away from him.

“That’s enough, Arnold,” Callum warns him. They exchange a look, having a silent conversation while Catherine leaves the room.

“Good morning, Ella. Good morning, Tilly,” Arnold greets the girls. I move around the island to stand next to Callum while Arnold talks to the girls. One thing I can say about the guys from Sense Security is that they all love the girls. They would risk their lives to protect them.

“I’ll walk over with you,” Callum tells Arnold, breaking the silence. Arnold looks at me again, and I’m grateful for the distraction of them leaving. Maybe it would be easier to tell them the truth instead of pretending everything is fine.

The only guard I’m comfortable around is Len. I’m sure the others have noticed something is off. If they did some research, they would understand why I act the way I do.

The trial is almost over, according to Jerry. He’s been working hard to undo the damage I caused by visiting Henry. He tells me bits and pieces of what’s happening. The trial isn’t going as well as he hoped. There’s no proof that Henry abused the other girls, and their stories aren’t as credible because of their drug addictions.

Except for Kaylee, of course. Jerry has asked me to change my mind, to give a statement or testify, but I can’t. I’ve made my decision, and even though it’s hurting the case, I stand by it. Kaylee doesn’t blame me. She’s told me about her feelings for Henry, too.

We both had the same reaction to his abuse. But she’s stronger than I am. She’s still going forward with her testimony. I just hope Henry gets what he deserves for what he did.

“Are you okay, dear?” Catherine’s gentle touch and soft voice bring me back to reality. She’s standing next to me, holding two cups of coffee.

“Yes, just overthinking again,” I admit, turning my attention back to the girls. Ella looks sleepy, and Tilly is picking at her toast.

“They’re all concerned about you, Violet. They’ve noticed you acting a bit off, but I made Dante swear not to bring it up until you’re ready. They’ve become like a little family, you know?” She opens the fridge, pulling out smoked salmon and cream cheese, then grabs five packs of tortilla wraps from the pantry.

A family.

“You’re making lunch for them again, aren’t you?” She blushes a bit, nods, and starts prepping the ingredients.

“How can I resist when they ask so sweetly?” She hides her nervousness by busying herself with unwrapping the tortillas.

“How about I spread the cream cheese, and you assemble the wraps?” I suggest, grinning.

This is Catherine.

She’s a caring soul, always finding it hard to say no. I hate to admit it, but Zach is the same way.

He cares too much and rarely says no if he can avoid it.

“That would be great, thank you, Violet. Maybe you could open up to them…just a bit?” Catherine hands me the wraps, cream cheese, and a knife.

I wash my hands thoroughly at the sink, then take the knife and open the cream cheese. I spread it evenly on each wrap, making sure to reach every edge. It just tastes better that way.

We have a system. As soon as I finish a wrap and pass it to her, she has a thin slice of salmon ready to lay down with precision before rolling the wrap and placing it on a large serving tray.

We make enough wraps to feed the entire team waiting in the Senses building, probably on pins and needles knowing the feast they’re about to receive.

Catherine stays silent, letting me decide how to handle the issues…that have been staring me in the face.

“I can take these over if you want. Could you put the girls down for their nap?” I ask, knowing I need to quell some rumors before they start assuming something’s wrong.

That doesn’t mean I’m not nervous as I cross the paved driveway to the right of the house, heading for the building Zach had built.

There are no guards outside today because of the meeting. They have these meetings once a week.

I enter the building and head for the room I know they’ll be in. It has a table that seats all seventeen of them comfortably, with room to spare, and desks with multiple computers in the corner.

Callum and Dante call it their conference room.

I knock on the door three times. I could just walk in, but I don’t.

I wait for one of them to open the door.

After a moment, the door cracks open. It’s a tall man, one I’ve never seen outside this building.

He must be a computer whiz, since he’s always on one.

He’s built like a tank, covered in black tattoos. I have to admit, it’s kind of hot, in a rugged way.

His gaze lands on the wall behind me for a moment, looking confused, before he looks down and meets my eyes, staring at me with his mouth open.

“Can I come in?” I ask, smiling shyly.

“Uh. I. Sure, Miss Stephenson,” he stammers.

“Violet, call me Violet,” I say as he opens the door wider for me to enter. I’m met with fourteen pairs of curious eyes, making my heart pound like a racehorse.