Joules stepped back and nodded her head yes. "But you are not going to like it. Let's go inside, and I will tell you about it."
Once inside and seated at the kitchen counter, Joules said, "Poppy has packed up and gone with Ben to Tennessee."
Bennett slammed his fist on the counter, "Damn it! I was worried she would do something like that. When did she leave, and why didn't you stop her? And why Tennessee?"
"I couldn't. She was already gone by the time I got out there. They left after the story broke about Taylor being pregnant. I did what I could. I found them a safe house to hide out in. My friend from college is a real estate agent. She has a lot of rental properties. She put them up in one. I know it is not ideal, but at least you can get to her faster. Plus, she is staying there and not running to New York. It is a start."
A look of sadness and anger crossed Bennett's face, "A small one. She could have trusted me. She could have trusted me to fix this. You don't think…" he hesitated for a moment. Then, he continued, "Surely she didn't believe that I was the father of Taylor's baby? I know that was how the news made it look, but surely she realized that was not true. After all we have been through, how could she think that?"
At this point, Taylor looked from Joules to Bennett and said, "You two have a lot to discuss. I think I will go in and lie down for a while." She then went upstairs to her room. She had felt like she was eavesdropping on something that had nothing to do with her.
Once the door upstairs closed, Joules looked at Bennett and said, "I don't know what Poppy believes, but she is safe. Do what you need to here. You can go after her when that is done.”
Joules pointed to the street where the reporters were still camped out like vultures circling for the kill. “What are you going to do about all of that?”
Bennett gave her a stern look and said, "I have a plan, but you are not going to like it. But, it is the only way. Call a press conference for 9:00 tomorrow morning at my office. Did you make those calls I asked you earlier?"
"Yes, it is all set.”
Bennett gave Joules a weary smile and said, "I am grateful. You have been an amazing friend to both of us. He would have been so proud of you."
There was no need to say who the "he" was. They both knew who Bennett was talking about.
Joules was quiet for a moment and then said, "I hope so. Do you ever wonder if this would have happened if he had lived?"
"Every day."
"Me too." Wiping a tear that was slowly making its way down her cheek, Joules said, "Enough of this. We have too much work todo to be sitting around talking about things we can't change. Let's get busy."
Bennett nodded, and the two of them worked the rest of the afternoon, working out the little details to make sure the news conference the next day went off without a hitch.
For the next several hours, Bennett and Joules strategized and made plans for the next day. By the time Taylor woke up from her nap and came down to fix something for supper, Joules was gone.
Feeling famished, Taylor heated a can of tomato soup and made grilled cheese sandwiches. When it was ready, Bennett joined her for dinner in the kitchen. It was the first time they had sat together at their kitchen table for a meal in over seven months.
It should have felt awkward, but it didn't. They were what they were: two old friends sharing a meal. They kept the conversation light, sticking to topics like the work she had been doing in Miami and a book she had recently read. It was as if each one just needed a few moments of normalcy after the craziness of the last few days.
When they were done eating, Bennett said, "Thank you for this. I want you to know that even after everything that has happened, I still care about you."
Patting him on the arm, Taylor wanted to let Bennett know how much she appreciated all he had done for her over the years. "I would have never survived those first few years without you, so thank you for being there for me."
"Yes, you would have. I know that now. I am so sorry for letting you down and not being the man you needed me to be. It just wasn't meant to be."
"You are right. It wasn't meant to be. I realized something at the beach during all of those hours of soul-searching. Life is short. We have to reach out and grab every bit of happiness we can when we can. Poppy and Ben make you happy. You should be with them. Greer makes me unbelievably happy, and I want to be with him. Itreally shouldn't matter what other people or the press think about it. We have to live our own lives and be true to ourselves. So, let’s stop apologizing and stop beating ourselves up. What is done is done. We must move forward and trust that everything will work itself out."
"Wow. I never saw that coming, but I am relieved you feel this way. You are right. I have been beating myself up emotionally for everything for months now about all of this. But I shouldn't be surprised that you would say something like that. Your willingness to forgive and your caring nature were just a few things I have always loved about you. And I do love you very much."
"I know. You love me, but you are not in love with me any more than I am with you. But it's okay. We have both found the people we are supposed to be with. You have a son now. In a few months, Lord willing, I will have a child of my own. Things are working out. It is just going to take some time and patience. We can get through this. We have gotten through much worse."
"Well, about that. I have something to tell you. I, too, have been doing some deep thinking and have made a major decision. Tomorrow morning at 9:00, I am resigning as Senator and withdrawing my name from consideration for a cabinet position.”
"Bennett, no!"
"Yes. It is time. Nothing is more important to me than Poppy, Ben, and you. Staying in the race is hurting all the people that I love the most in the world. I don't think I can live with myself if I go on hurting any of you one more day."
"But this is your dream."
"It was my dream. My only dream now is seeing you happy with Greer and Poppy and me back together raising our son. I don't want to miss one more day with him or Poppy. And I want you to be happy, too."
