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Chapter One-Hundred-Fifty-Five



“I’m bored,” Stacy announced after two hours that they’ve been at the park. Brianne and Jessica are both sitting up ontop of the monkey bars, Stacy is sprawled out in the sand with her head rested in Ally’s lap and the four of them were all sitting there just talking.


“Me too,” Ally pouted.


“It’s kind of hot out today…why don’t we go to that lake about five minutes from your house Stace and go swimming?” Brianne suggested.


“Yeah! I love that lake!” Jessica exclaimed. “How come we never go to that lake anymore Stacy?”


“I don’t feel like swimming you guys…and besides, we don’t even have our bathing suits.”


“So? Who needs bathing suits?” Brianne questioned while shrugging her shoulders.


“It’s a public lake Bree…what if someone sees?”


“Well…if it’s a cute boy we’ll invite him in!” Brianne answered with a smirk. Stacy suddenly looked bewildered.


“It was a joke! Sheesh!”


“I don’t want to go swimming,” Stacy insisted. “Can’t we find something else to do?”


“What else is there to do in this town hon?” Ally spoke up again.


“Plenty…we could go to the arcade, we could go shopping at the mall, we could go to Wal-Mart…we could go down to the stables and go horseback writing…” Jessica frowned.


“We’re definitely not going to the arcade. Drew said he was going to be there today…I’m annoyed with him – I don’t want to see him.”


“Wal-Mart?” Brianne asked.


“We’ve been there three times since we’ve been here,” Ally whined somewhat.


“And I don’t feel like horseback riding,” Brianne put in.


“That leaves swimming at the lake – the mall is too far to walk.” Jessica replied and everybody looked at Stacy with pleading eyes. Stacy scowled.


“We don’t have to get completely naked,” Brianne reassured. “We could just strip down to our bra and underwear – it’s like a bathing suit – but not.” Stacy groaned.


“We’ll walk back to my house and change into bathing suits…I am not swimming in my underwear – you never know who will show up there.”


“Aw…but I was looking forward to being daring and all!” Brianne pouted.


“You all can be as daring as you’d like – but I’m wearing a bathing suit.” Stacy insisted and the four of them all headed to Stacy’s house.



~*~*~*~*~



When everybody finished their ice cream they all got up from the table and threw their trash away.


“Where to next?” Nick asked curiously as he gathered both Sarah and Dakota in his arms so that both girls were balanced on each of his hips. He expected a scowl to form on his daughter's face but much to his surprise she showed no sign of being annoyed what so ever. Instead, she kissed Nick’s cheek and rested her head against his shoulder as she snuggled into him. Sarah on the other hand began writing some thing down on her notepad and everybody seemed to have noticed because no one had answered him. All eyes were on the silent six-year-old waiting to hear what she has to say. When she finished writing she handed it over to Nick and he read it out loud.


“Can we go ride the merry-go-round Nicky?” Dakota’s eyes widened in excitement.


“Yeah! Daddy cans we? Cans we please?” She piped up excitedly. Nick chuckled a little.


“Sure thing sweethearts,” Nick answered being sure to emphasize the ‘s’ in sweethearts so both girls would know that he was answering both of them. He grinned at the smile on Sarah’s face and felt like he had made all of his accomplishments for the day. Dakota is happy and Sarah is smiling – the day for him couldn’t get any better. His best friend on the other hand…he is very worried about him.


“Brian I want to ride the carousal too,” Josh insisted as he stood next to his father holding his hand.


“Alright. Nick will take you and the girls…right Nicky?”


“Oh no you don’t. You’re coming with me,” Nick demanded and he gave Brian a stern look. Brian glared at him but he did not argue. Instead he just followed everybody up the escalator being careful to avoid standing next to Riley or make eye contact with her. When they made it upstairs they were suddenly in the food court where the carousal is located on the other side. They walked down there and Nick kissed Ashley’s cheek.


“Coming?” He questioned, sharing a look with her that only she understood.


“Mhm,” Ashley answered and she allowed Nick to pull her into the gate that the man running the carousal was allowing the line of people to go through. When they got in there, Josh and Dakota went running to find the best horse before they were all taken. Nick carried Sarah a long as he followed. When he had caught up to them he set Sarah on a horse next to the one Dakota had climbed up onto and Sarah held on tight.


“Hey! Daddy that was going to be Joshy’s horse!”


“Why don’t you let Josh ride with you sweetheart?” before Dakota could answer Nick lifted Josh up and placed him onto the horse behind Dakota and Brian eyed him curiously. He knows the younger man is up to something and he’s not quite sure if he likes it yet. Josh on the other hand, doesn’t care what Nick is up to – as long as he gets Dakota he’s good. He just beamed and slid his arms around Dakota from behind. “That way he could watch over you for me while us three adults sit in the bench behind you kids and talk,” ‘And Interrogate me’ Brian thought, suddenly annoyed with his best friend.


“I’m going to stand here with Sarah,” Ashley insisted just as Nick knew she would. He knew she realized his plan long before they left Cold Stone and he knew she would back him up without him having to ask.


“Okay cool. That leaves me and you to have some very much needed Frick and Frack time,” Nick beamed and he wrapped his arm around Brian and steered him over to the colorful bench behind them and the two of them sat down. Kori who was standing outside the gate with Wiley, Riley, and security just laughed and Ashley heard her say ‘Did you hear them plan that? They didn’t even talk to each other – I swear they’re like a friggen married couple who finishes each other’s sentences.”


“Or in this case read each other’s minds,” Wiley agreed.


“That’s what happens with couples sometimes. When you are so in love with each other and have been together for awhile you start to read each other,” Marcus replied while grinning amusedly.


“Nick has been able to read Ashley since day one,” Riley replied. “Hence the whole caregiver thing.”


“True that,” Marcus agreed. Meanwhile on the carousel, once it got started and Nick was sure the kids were too into their giggling and waving to Wiley, Kori, Riley, Marcus, and Q, he rounded on Brian who was sitting next to him quietly, secretly hoping Nick would forget the interrogation – no such luck.


“What is going on with you?” He demanded almost immediately. Brian scowled.


“Well I am riding a carousal with my best friend…what is going on with you?” Nick narrowed his eyes at him.


“Smart ass…”


“It’s not nice to call your friends names Nickolas.”


“And it’s not nice to lie to their faces and keep them in the dark either.”


“I don’t want to talk about it. Okay?” Brian sighed.


“No it’s not okay. You make me talk to you about all of my problems.”


“But I back off when you don’t feel like talking about it.” Nick stared at him for a few moments in disbelief.


“Okay…okay fine,” he said, and then crossed his arms over his chest and looked away in a pout. Brian groaned.



“Nick…”


“No…No it’s okay. If you don’t want to talk about it it’s fine.” Brian rolled his eyes.


“I’ve decided I’m not going to force Josh into liking Riley.” He finally revealed. Nick turned and looked back at Brian, satisfied that his reverse psychology had worked. He has to remember to thank Ashley later for introducing it to him.


“So…that means you are just going to ignore her now?”


“I’m not ignoring he—“


“--There you go lying to my face again.”


“I’m not ignoring her, I just need my space right now…” Brian finished his sentence in a patient tone.


“Really? Because she is under the impression that you are. Can you not see her heart breaking?” Brian looked down at his feet not knowing what to say.


“If I did this to Ashley and made her cry like you’re doing to Ri I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”


“I’m just going through a rough time right now Nick. You put yourself in my shoes…what would you do if Dakota absolutely loathed Ashley? You are lucky Nick…your daughter is all for having Ashley as a mom if you suddenly decided to propose.”


“I would do what I am doing right now with Sarah. I would do everything in my power to make it work. Because I love her that much…and I was under the impression that you loved Riley.”


“I do love Riley.”


“Then act like it. She’s been through enough heartbreak already she doesn’t need anymore of it – especially from you.”


“But Josh –“


“-Will come around.”

“I’m not going to force him anymore Nick. It’s hard on him…”


“So don’t. Believe me I know very well how hard it is I’m going through it now with Dakota and Sarah…and I learned the hard way that I can’t force her – she has to get through her jealousy on her own and so does Josh…but you could help him. You could give him Josh and Brian time…it seems to be working for Dakota.”


“Yeah that’s what Josh says he wants to do…and we’ve agreed to do that.”


“Good…but don’t shut out Riley in the mean time. This is hard on her too because you’ve loved her much longer then Josh and you promised you would never hurt her – but now look what you are doing. If you need your space…tell her so. But don’t make her feel like you are ignoring her.” Nick replied, just as the carousal had stopped. Brian and Nick both got up then and went back over to their kids.


“That was really great daddy! Cans we go again?” Dakota asked excitedly.


“Maybe some other time baby, we’re going to do a little more shopping and then we’re going back home for the day,” Nick explained as he took her off of the horse and Brian grabbed up his son. Nick looked over at Josh who was beaming from ear to ear still.


“Did you take care of my little girl Josh?” he asked grinning a little.


“Uh huh. I held onto her tight so she wouldn’t fall off,” Josh reassured importantly. Nick chuckled.


“Thanks buddy, I know I can always count on you,” He replied, and he turned his attention on Ashley who was now standing beside him. He slid his arm around her waist and feeling ever so daring he bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before leading her and the kids off of the carousal and outside the gate and Brian followed. Once they were outside of the gate Brian set Josh down and he walked up behind Riley and slid his arms around her waist as she was standing there talking to Laney and holding a camera in her hands and he kissed the back of her neck softly.


“Get any good pictures?”


“I got a couple of Josh and Dakota together...they’ll turn out nicely we should frame them once they’re developed.” Brian took the camera from her then and he held it out in front of them so the camera was turned and facing them. He then placed his finger to her jaw and gently tilted her head to the side so she is looking up at him and he bent down and brushed his lips lightly over hers while snapping the picture at the same time. When he pulled back afterward he slowly traced his finger over lips as she stared up into his eyes.

“We should frame that one too and blow it up and put it in our living room. That way whenever someone comes over to visit…and they walk into our living room to sit down, they will see it and know how much I love you.” Riley couldn’t help but smile a little at his words as tears fell from her eyes and he placed his fingers to her cheek and wiped them away.


“Where would we hang it?”


“Right above our fireplace,” Brian answered while lightly caressing her cheek with his finger.


“That would look nice.”


“Mhm,” Brian agreed and he gently turned her so she was facing him and she slid her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of it and he looked over at Josh who was pretending not to notice what was going on between his father and the woman he strongly dislikes and playing with Dakota and Sarah instead. Nick had taken Ashley with him to go and get sodas for everybody and Marcus went with them while Laney stayed with Kori, Wiley, and the kids.



~*~*~*~*~



Meanwhile at Wal-Mart, after searching the entire store for Stacy and not finding her anywhere, Aaron groaned.


“I give up. There is no other place that we could look,” he told Q exasperatedly. “We’ve searched the park, we’ve searched Pizza Hut, we’ve searched the arcade – where else is there to look? Nick would have phoned me if he ran into Stacy at the mall right?”


“Of course he would,” Q agreed. “Maybe she and her friends just didn’t go out today,” he added, beginning to give up now too. He’s run out of ideas of where to look too. Aaron sighed.


“Let’s just go home…” Q slid his arm around Aaron’s shoulders then.


“We’ll look again tomorrow buddy, I promise. And maybe Nick will take you out tonight to look for her if you ask him to.” Aaron nodded.


“I just want to buy these really cool sunglasses that I found before we leave,” Aaron announced as he held up the pair of black sunglasses in his hand for Q to see. Q nodded and led the thirteen-year-old toward the check out line that had the least people in it and they stood in line and waited. While Aaron was in the middle of paying Q stood there looking at all of the items that they have displayed on the shelves for people to look at while they’re standing in line and he noticed a box of pepper spray sitting there. Q stood there staring at it for a few moments as a light bulb popped into his head. He didn’t dare reach out and get it though because he knows Sean’s goons may be watching his every move right now. Why didn’t they think of this before though? He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone and he opened it up to his text messages and he began to send one to Marcus. We’re going to have a meeting tonight when you all get back. I have an idea he wrote, and then pushed send. A few seconds later his phone lit up telling him that Marcus had replied. He opened up the text message and it said what about Ashley? We always try to have them when she’s asleep remember? Q began to write back. I want her to be apart of it. And he pressed send again. Okay… Marcus soon replied back. Satisfied, Q closed his phone and put it back in his pocket and he looked at Aaron just on time to see he had finished paying for the sunglasses and was standing there watching him curiously.


“Who was that you were just texting?”


“Nick,” Q lied. “I wanted to tell him to keep an eye on Stacy and to call you if he sees her,” he lied, not wanting Sean’s goons – if they were watching, to know that they were planning a meeting of some sort. They might try and find a way to listen in and then his new secret weapon would be ruined.


“Oh,” Aaron replied. “Well thanks” he added gratefully, and the two of them left Wal-Mart and headed back to the Littrell House. When they got there they walked into the house to find everybody in the living room. Jackie, Harold, And Harry were sitting on one couch, and Denise, Howie, and Ryan were sitting on the other. Ryan sitting close to Howie with his head rested against his shoulder and he is hugging a pillow close to him and seems like he had just finished bawling.


“Hey Q, hey Aaron…did you find Stacy?” Denise asked curiously.


“No not yet,” Aaron replied in a slightly grumpy tone but he made sure not to make it sound like it was directed toward Denise. He likes the woman after all and the last thing he wants is to make her feel bad.


“We’ve looked everywhere,” Q added. “But we didn’t find her. My guess is she must be at home and just didn’t leave her house today.”


“Don’t give up Air…you’ll find her soon,” Howie reassured. Aaron nodded and looked up at Q.


“It was a little hot on our way back…if I changed into some shorts you wouldn’t mind coming to the lake with me would you?” Q nodded.


“Of course I wouldn’t. It would be nice to go to the lake.”


“I agree,” Howie replied while looking down at Ryan and combing his fingers through his hair gently. “Mind if Ryan and I come Air?”


“Not at all,” Aaron shrugged, and he turned and hurried up the stairs to change into some shorts that he could swim in. Howie got up and took Ryan’s hand. He helped the kid up from the couch and went upstairs with him too.


“What happened?” he asked, turning his attention on Denise. Knowing he means Ryan she began to explain.


“He got to talk to his mom today…and he wasn’t ready to let her go when his fifteen minutes were up. He started bawling and Howie ended up in tears because he had to force him to hang up. It was very emotional around here…”


“Oh man…poor kid…he’s really having a rough time.”


“Yeah…Howie says he might get to visit her after Thanksgiving though when you all get back to Florida – that is if she’s doing well enough to have visitors by then.”


“God I hope so…I hate seeing him suffer like this.” Q waited for Howie, Ryan, and Aaron to return and when they did, they all headed out to the lake in the woods to go swimming.