"I am glad something positive came out of something so hurtful. I understand you spent over a week in Gulf Shores before returning to Searcy for the gala. Do I have that right?" asked Harvey.
"Yes, I spent the time soul searching. It is crazy to think it was only a little over a week. So much happened that week that ultimately changed my life forever," said Taylor.
Chewing on his pen, Harvey said, "Please tell me about that week and why it was so significant."
Stone Cottage
Gulf Shores, Alabama
March 2012
Taylor woke the next morning to waves crashing on the shore. For a moment, she just lay in the big fluffy bed, quietly listening to the sounds of the beach outside. Her first thought right before she opened her eyes was that the day before had just been a bad dream. But lying there, with her eyes almost swollen shut from crying the day before, she knew it was not.
Rolling over, she instantly reached for her cell phone. Checking it, she was surprised to see no new messages from Bennett. True to her word, Joules had corralled him. Of course, Taylor had no doubt that he was probably pretty busy dealing with the media circus that surely was swirling around him, not to mention dealing with a long-lost lover and a surprise son. Taylor tried and failed to keep the bitterness out of her heart as she thought of the boy. None of this was his fault, but this all burned on somany levels.
Joules had assured her that she had killed the story, but Taylor could not resist digging through the Internet for any signs of life. Again, Taylor was shocked at how thoroughly Joules had once again pulled off a miracle.
The fact that their little debacle had taken place in a small town must have helped the situation. Small towns could be a hotbed of gossip, but they can also be a fortress of protection when one of their own was at risk. It appeared that Joules had been right. Edna had rallied her troops and was doing all they could to protect the POS, as Bennett's high school friends had dubbed him. It stood for Pride of Searcy, a nickname that Taylor had never liked until now. Thinking of Bennett as a POS in the more traditional sense was on point for how she felt about him today.
Even though she could not find anything online, Taylor knew she would feel better if she checked in the Joules. The phone rang five times with no answer. Taylor was about to hang up when she heard Joules answer it in a rush.
"Hello. TJ? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, it's me. I just wanted to call and check in to see how bad it has gotten. I hope I didn't wake you." Taylor replied.
With a snort, Joules said, "You didn't wake me. I have been up since before 6:00. I slept at the office. As you can imagine, things have been crazy here."
Joules was in total campaign manager mode now. She even sounded different than when she was being her best friend. This Joules was a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoner kind of person.
"Okay," Taylor demanded, "tell me the deal. I have already checked the internet and all the local stations. I can't find even a blip about yesterday. What is going on?"
Sounding exhausted but in control, Joules replied, "You're right. So far, it has been handled."
"How in the world did you manage that? I was expecting this awful mess to be on the front page and every news channel from here to Little Rock," replied Taylor.
"It's like I told you last night. Edna Stone killed it. I mean, she stomped it out. Yesterday, after everything happened, she summoned Bennett to her house for a big pow-wow. Evidently, Edna already met with all those old women who hung on her like curtains and ensured that no one leaked so much as a word. You know she rules them with an iron fist. All is quiet on this front."
Giving a long sigh, Taylor said, "Well, thank you for all you have done and especially for getting Bennett to back off. I could not have handled dealing with him. So, tell me, where is my faithful, adoring husband, laying in the arms of his mistress, or is he out in the backyard playing catch with his new son?"
Joules did not immediately respond to Taylor's hateful questions. When she did, she quietly admonished, "TJ, don't do this. Don't let this turn you into someone you aren't. Don't let this warp your kind, gentle spirit. You have faced worse things than this. You will get through this."
Understanding her friend's anger and hurt, Joules continued, "I know you are hurt, but other people are hurting too. There is a lot going on here, more than I think you realize. You really need to talk to Bennett. He has agreed to give you a few days to clear your head and figure some things out. But the two of you will have to sit down and talk this out one way or another."
Huffing, Taylor snapped, "One way or another! What does that mean? Does that mean divorce? Does he want a divorce? Or worse, am I supposed to continue as his perfect little political wife and turn a blind eye as he continues his political career while still carrying on with his mistress and love child?"
The emotions and hurt kept rocketing to the surface, and Taylor seemed incapable of reigning herself in. She hardly recognized herself at that moment.
Once again, Joules tried to help Taylor calm down and see an irrational situation rationally. "Look, I am not the person you need to ask these questions. I think you need time to think and reflect. You are too close to the situation right now. You need a few days to sit with it, and then maybe you will be in a better head space to deal with this more reasonably and maturely. That is what the beach house is for."
Nodding, Taylor responded, "You are right. I know you are right. But, at the moment, I am having a tough time not nose-diving head-first into a pity party. Mature and reasonable or not."
"You've earned a massive pity party, so go ahead and have one. But don't drown in it. Sooner than later, you and Bennett will have to make some decisions. And, since we are on Bennett, there is something you should know. But first, promise me you aren't going to wig out on me. I need you to hear what I am telling you, so you will have several days to prepare yourself for it," Joules pleaded.
"Oh Lord, what is it? I can't take much more."
"You are not going to like this, but Bennett had to promise Edna that his little show at the club would not impact the gala."
"Wow, good for him!" Taylor snapped sarcastically. "What is he going to do to save the event? Buy all of the paintings? I mean, they are all of his child."
