A Second Chance at Love

Sometimes Love Blinds You

Chapter 7

Parker’s POV

I put dinner in the crockpot so it would be ready when I got home. I needed to eat too, and I was going to play the part of his dutiful wife before I dropped off the face of the earth. I called my gynecologist’s office first to see if they could work me in for the tests. I was told that they could work me in a two this afternoon. Then I made the phone call I had been dreading.

“Parker?” my uncle, Brooks Reynolds, answered before the third ring. He was at work, yet answered quickly.

I'd been avoiding him for the last month and a half, despite him and my cousin, Conner, being the only family I had left. I had distanced myself intentionally. He was my father’s twin brother, and it was just too hard for me to see him right now. I felt guilty for having turned my back on them, as I knew they were hurting, too. My father and uncle had always been very close. The twin bond was very real. Guilt slammed into me at the realization that I'd clung to my husband for support instead of the family that actually loved me. I’ve made so many mistakes.

My uncle Brooks liked Nolan even less than my parents did. My father had been an excellent judge of character. Uncle Brooks was the same way. He didn’t even come to our engagement party, in silent protest against our marriage. Uncle Brooks didn’t attend our wedding, either. My cousin, Connor, was also missing, despite being as close to me as a brother. My parents hadn’t wanted to come to the wedding, but they always supported me. Even when I made the worst decision of my life.

My cousin and Uncle were both out of the country on business at the time, at least that was their excuse. My uncle was the CEO of his own finance company. He could have sent someone else on that trip or rescheduled the meeting. I knew he didn’t like Nolan, and it was intentional. Only to discover that they were right about him all along. I didn’t get upset about them missing our wedding because I was thrilled to be marrying the man of my dreams.

I couldn’t speak after hearing his voice. How could I possibly tell him that I was the reason his brother was dead? I pulled over onto a gravel lot, and my sobs grew louder. The words wouldn’t come out. He will never forgive me for what I’ve done to our family.

“Parker, honey. What’s wrong? Are you alright?” my uncle Brooks asked. His concern for me only made me cry harder. I could hear him speaking to someone, and then Connor started speaking to me two minutes later.

“Parker, where are you? Do you need us to come pick you up? What has happened?” Connor asked. My cousin was three and a half years older than me, at twenty-seven. He has known me since I was born. He knew I rarely cried. That it had to be something serious to get me so upset.

“Parker, just listen to me. Everything is going to be okay. Just calm down. We can help, just tell us what you need us to do,” my uncle spoke to me in a soothing tone until my sobs eventually lessened.

They were going to help me. I needed to know that I wasn’t alone. That they still loved me. I just hope they still loved me once they heard what I needed to tell them. I managed to get the story out, between periodic bursts of tears. They stayed silent as I spoke. They knew how hard it was for me to admit what had happened. I remember assuring them all that once they got to know Nolan, they would love him just as much as I did. I was delusional. They knew the truth much better than I did at the time. I had been so gullible, so in love at the time, I couldn’t see it. No, that’s not quite right either. I hadn’t wanted to see who he was. I just wanted Nolan to be mine. I wanted to believe that he wanted me. I was furious with myself at how ignorant I’d truly been.

“Parker, you’re blaming yourself for no reason. Nolan’s actions are just that, Nolan’s actions. This has nothing to do with you, and your parents would tell you the same thing if they were here. You fell in love with the man you thought he was, with the version he showed you. How could you have known? Sometimes love blinds us. He took advantage of you, Parker. This wasn’t your fault. I’m going to make a few phone calls and have the investigation into their death reopened. Now that we know it wasn’t an accident, I’m going to make sure they find proof. You’re not safe there anymore. I want you to come back home,” my uncle told me.

“I’m going to hide, but I can’t go to my parents’ house. He also knows about the properties we own. I have to find a place he doesn't know about. I’m going to get everything set up on this side and leave the day before the accountant arrives. Nolan won’t be able to stop the audit from being completed, no matter what he tries. I’m opening a new bank account and transferring my money from our joint account. He can live on whatever he makes until the police get enough evidence to arrest him. I will have him served with divorce papers the same day the auditor arrives,” I replied.

“I have an idea. Why don’t you just stay at our hunting cabin? You have no association with it. He hasn’t even met us, so you should be safe there. Plus, it’s difficult to find. You can use our truck to get there while the investigation gets completed and we build up a case against him. It should take no longer than a month to a month and a half to get it done. You’ve been there before, remember? When you were younger. You used to love fishing with me on the lake. I think that stepping back, and relaxing for the time-being would be the best thing for you,” my uncle suggested. This book is called A Second Chance at Love by Kat Von Beck. It should only be on Dreame. It is stolen if it's on any other site.

I remembered the cabin. My uncle and cousin would hunt deer and turkeys on their land with my father. The entrance to the cabin was well hidden. My uncle had planted shrubs that hid the gate from view. Once you get past the gate, the rest of the drive is paved. My uncle didn’t want strangers to know the house was there, but the locals were all well aware of it. There were a great many trees around the perimeter, making it look like the woods out there.

The cabin was built over thirty years ago, but they've maintained the property. My uncle built it for his wife, Lee Ann, as a wedding present. She died of cancer when I was a baby. I don’t remember her, but I’ve seen pictures of her. My uncle never remarried. He raised Conner and put all his energy into being a great father. I enjoyed staying there, but I hadn’t been there in quite a while. This would be a good place to hide out. I remembered the town, and it was charming. I hadn’t been there for six years, but I remember loving the glass wall of windows that faced the lake. It was a very relaxing place to stay.

Jasper Falls was about 30 minutes west of Chattanooga, TN. My uncle, cousin, and parents all had homes and businesses in Chattanooga. I worked remotely. Unless I was needed, and then I flew into Chattanooga. It was much quicker than a five-hour drive. I didn’t need to go into the office often, since my work could be done online. I won’t be going back to the company until Nolan and Brandie are behind bars. It just wouldn’t be safe to show up there until they were dealt with. So I will work on my laptop until I get the all clear.

My uncle asked when I would be arriving. He was very similar to me. He was a planner and liked making sure nothing surprised him. I already knew he was making a list to get ready for my arrival. He thought it was a good idea for me to drive there. He wanted me to leave my car in his separate garage. Nolan would be looking for my car when I came up missing.

I'm glad that I called him. My uncle told me to have my car serviced before I came. Get an oil change, tire rotation, and make sure there are no issues. He also told me to make sure my car couldn’t be tracked. I doubted Nolan would go that far, but my uncle was right. I never thought Nolan would cheat on me either. I added that to the list of things I needed to get done. My uncle told me to go grab another cell phone while I was out. He instructed me to transfer the numbers I needed and leave my phone behind at our home. I remembered that Nolan had installed a phone tracking app on my phone. I was glad I called. I was off-kilter by what I'd learned last night. I still wasn’t thinking as clearly as I usually did.

My uncle reminded me that buying a plane ticket could be traced if I flew to Chattanooga, and using my credit cards could also allow me to be traced. I knew if I left my car behind, Nolan would take his anger out on it, and I loved my car. My parents had bought me my dream car for my last birthday. I treasured it as it was the last present they ever bought me. I wasn’t going to give it up. My black Audi RS 5 was a gorgeous vehicle. I loved everything about it, from the rims to the sunroof. I enjoyed getting to drive it. It was an extravagant gift, but my mother excused it as a way to make up for the lack of gifts from Nolan. I happily accepted it.

My day passed quickly as I worked on my list. My appointment at my doctor's office wasn’t until 2 pm. I headed straight to the dealership and was told my vehicle would be ready in 3 hours. I left my car there and took an Uber to the bank, and opened a new account. My list was being dealt with quickly. I took another Uber back to the dealership and called the auditor to verify he would be here the day after tomorrow. I had already granted him access to our joint banking account and notified the bank. I left my name on the account to ensure he had access.

I called my attorney after leaving the dealership to see if he had time to see me this afternoon, but he was out of town. He told me to come to his office at 8 am tomorrow morning, before his office opened. I was glad that he was able to get me in. I told him that I needed him to draw up a divorce agreement and enforce the prenup, citing the affair as the reason for dissolution. I asked him if Nolan could try to claim any part of my inheritance. I didn’t want him getting any part of it, for any reason. I also told him I wanted to draft a new will, just in case.