The Return

Harvey slammed the front door shut while quickly discarding his coat. Wearing a concerned expression, he walked into the great room to find Bridget on her hands and knees. The physically fit doctor’s tush shook enticingly while she used a flashlight to investigate under one of the sofas. Sean reclined on another sofa while Whitney watched Bridget in amusement.

“You could help, you know,” Sean told the younger blonde.

“I don’t know what she’s searching for. Do you?”

“I’m making sure we didn’t leave any evidence,” Bridget responded before Sean could. Sitting up on her knees, she explained, ”It’s been almost two and a half hours since Rachel called. “They should be–”

“Wait, you mean since we covered for you? Hmm, isn’t that what we did, Seanie?” Whitney asked sarcastically.

“I think that is precisely what we did,” Sean agreed, tapping his finger against his chin. “Don’t forget you were showering, Mom, while Harvey was outside checking things.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard to remember, Bridget. You were technically showering when my dad came to check out your feminine needs,” Whitney continued. “Although we shouldn’t give you a pass since you two used up all the hot water!”

“This isn’t funny, young lady. We can’t have any hint of what went down here over the last day and a half. Gabby has this sixth sense about when I get laid,” Bridget explained. “It started the night I lost my virginity with Charlie.”

“Charlie Otterson?” Harvey queried, recalling they’d dated.

“I bet you went down back then, too, didn’t you?” Whitney cracked, holding her fist out to a **** Sean for a bump.

“Hardy har har,” Bridget laughed mockingly, rolling her eyes before giving her son a warning glare. However, she also noticed Harvey’s expression. “Is something the matter?”

“Ooh, are you upset about hearing Bridget’s first time, Dad?” Whitney teased.

"Did the car start?" Sean asked, referring to Harvey's damaged SUV. With the ice fully melted, the cabin owner finally went outside to move the vehicle away from the front porch.

“Yeah, but the damage might be somewhat worse than I thought,” Harvey admitted.

“Worried that Bud will think you’re helpless when he goes on vacation for a week?” Whitney asked, chuckling as she referred to their driver.

“Bud? I’m not worried about Bud. It’s Valeria. She’ll give me that look of hers, and Frida will–”

“Slap you for being careless,” Whitney finished for her father.

“If she thinks I risked your life, Frida won’t stop at one slap,” Harvey groaned, wondering if anyone else’s employees scolded their boss as often as his did. Then, it dawned on him what Bridget searched for. “Still can’t find it?”

Sean and Whitney’s head swung over in Harvey’s direction.

“No!” the blonde mother exclaimed, rechecking the clock as she scanned behind another sofa.

Sean exchanged a look with Whitney. His mom usually didn’t get this frazzled over anything. He nudged his head toward the bedroom.

“Right! Maybe Sean and I should double-check the den and master bedroom for any left-behind clues.”

“Good idea,” Harvey nodded, his gaze following Bridget in concern.

“Aha!” Bridget squealed, causing the two teens to flinch at the loud cry.

Standing on her tiptoes, the gorgeous woman jammed her hand into the towering Christmas tree. Ornaments rattled and garland floated to the floor while Bridget’s fingers strained to free an item. Eventually, she squeaked in celebration as her hand yanked free from the tree.

Harvey sighed in relief while Sean and Whitney gawked at the green silk satin bra clutched in Bridget’s hand.

“The hell?” Whitney reacted before laughing.

“Where did that come from?” Sean questioned, bewildered by the colorful garment.

“Oh, right. Before I forget, I found and threw out the robe you wore when I was in the laundry room,” Harvey informed Bridget, who nodded.

“What?! Not the black robe!” Sean shrieked. Then, he immediately caught himself while blushing.

“Does somebody like Mommy’s tiny robe?” Whitney teased while Bridget smirked knowingly.

“Uh, no,” Harvey replied, confused at the outburst. “I meant the crimson red robe with black edges. “

“Wait, that’s my robe,” Whitney realized. “What the hell has been going on around here?”

Bridget’s sheepish expression slowly turned into a naughty grin while Harvey hemmed and hawed.

“Well, every time your father drifted off yesterday, I might have cleaned up and put on another outfit,” Bridget relayed.

“It’s not my fault,” Harvey insisted. “I have a weakness for lingerie and flirty women.”

“No shit,” Whitney responded sarcastically.

Over on the sofa, Sean's attention jumped from the two adults to his classmate in awe. His mother's studying of the green bra in her hand particularly caught his interest.

“Yep, the strap is broken,” Bridget announced.

“Whoa! Hold on a moment. Broken bra strap, ripped robe, what the hell, Dad?! Did you tear off all Bridget’s clothes yesterday?” Whitney challenged.

“We were surprised the heels hitting the walls didn’t wake you two up,” Bridget confessed.

“Hey, it’s not my fault. The minx would tease me by hiding in different rooms,” Harvey argued.

“Took you long enough to find me in the laundry room,” the older blonde chuckled. “Your father turns into a beast when he’s impatient, honey. Your poor red robe didn’t have a chance.”

Whitney rolled her eyes to keep from laughing. Instead, she told her father she expected several replacements for the destroyed robe.

"I can replace this one. We'll go shopping together," Bridget suggested.

Whitney shrugged outwardly at the offer. Internally, she loved the idea of the older woman going with her. Shopping with Bridget sounded way better than shopping with her mom. However, she didn't want to show her excitement. Turning toward Sean, she jabbed an accusing finger at him.

“Do you see? This is what happens when you snore the day away.”

“Me?! You slept, too!”

“I’m recovering from almost dying,” the current cheerleader captain proclaimed.

“I’m hopped up on painkillers,” Sean reminded.

“That’s true,” Whitney agreed before pointing a finger at each parent. “And what’s your excuses?”

Bridget blushed at the accusatory tone. It hit her that she’d been acting like a horny teenager since they returned to the cabin. She’d need to keep her behavior and hormones in check once they got back to Honey Hollow. Who knew how long she and Leo would continue to share a house? And Peyton would be around until college classes resumed.

Harvey didn’t feel embarrassed the slightest bit. Everyone knew he easily gave in to his carnal desires. Instead, he shook his head in annoyance at his daughter.

“I don’t have time for your games, pumpkin. I need to transfer the sheets into the dryer before I forget,” he said, referring to the master bedroom sheets. Bridget had already stripped the two guest beds they’d used on the walkout level.

SMACK

“The sheets in my room upstairs! I forgot to take those off,” Bridget said after slapping her forehead. “They’re a mess and tell a tale.”

Sean gulped upon realizing he’d been a major player in writing that tale the other night. Neither Tarver had slept in the bed since waking up yesterday morning. With relief, the teen watched his mother scramble up the stairs to grab the incriminating sheets. Harvey moved in the opposite direction to the lower level.

“Come on, gimpy. I guess we better scour the den and bedroom,” Whitney directed, already walking toward the hallway.

Sean threw his hands out because nobody seemed to help him walk anymore. So, he hobbled his way down the hallway, turning into the den as he knew Whitney went into the master bedroom.

SLAM

Barely inside Harvey’s unused office, Sean turned around at the sound of the front door slamming shut. Deeper inside the bedroom, Whitney reacted slightly slower. However, the two teens made eye contact from across the two rooms.

“Who’s here?” the queen bee questioned from the other side of the bed.

Shrugging his shoulders, Sean took the necessary few steps to peer out the den’s door and down the hallway. He only caught a glimpse of a person rushing by, but the platinum blonde hair spoke volumes.

“Uh-oh.”

---

“Ooh, I like him even better!” Lana squealed, waving her fingers flirtatiously at another county worker. The rugged-looking worker was close enough to the car that they could see his wink. The redhead blew a kiss in reply.

Peyton held back a biting reply. Their progress had slowed considerably as they grew closer to Wasp Lake Park. The winding, tree-lined roads continued to hold small twigs and larger branches as gentle breezes finished what the wind gusts and ice started the other night. So far, the pair had passed two other county road crews as they used chainsaws to remove the heaviest branches from the pavement. The work crews’ presence always cut the road down to one lane. While there wasn’t much traffic, this was the second time they’d had to wait for an oncoming car to pass before resuming.

Eventually passing Wirchie’s, Peyton leaned forward to peer at a car as it vanished out of sight far down the road. She didn’t say anything, but Lana caught the scrutiny.

“What is it?”

Not replying, Peyton rechecked her mirrors.

“Come on, tell me!” Lana whined, annoyed at being ignored.

“Fine,” the blonde muttered. “I think Finn is ahead of us.”

As expected, her best friend whined and complained louder.

“Finny’s going to beat us? That’s why you need to drive faster, Pey! I keep telling you.”

“The cop that pulled us over seemed to think the opposite,” Peyton reminded, holding in the frustration she felt. She only ever got pulled over when Lana occupied the passenger seat.

“That’s right! If you hadn’t gotten pulled over, we’d already be there by now,” Lana declared, nodding vigorously. “You see? You should’ve slowed down when I spotted his car.”

Peyton risked shooting a glare at her BFF. “You didn’t say anything until his lights started flashing.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I warned you before we saw his red and blue lights,” Lana replied, mulling over the timeline.

“No, you didn’t!”

“Well, you owe me for talking him down to just a warning,” Lana said, folding her arms in a pout. “I haven’t heard a thank you yet.”

“Your tits did the talking, not you,” Peyton mumbled.

“I know. Aren’t they great?” Lana asked brightly, pushing out her chest and smiling down at it.

Silence filled Bridget’s car until they reached the final street. Looking at the damage, Peyton imagined how treacherous it must have been when her mom and brother returned to the cabin during the storm. She should probably admonish her mother for taking the risk, but her father deserved a share of the blame. Able to see a long stretch of road again, Peyton nodded, confirming her earlier guess.

“That is Finn,” she said, watching his brake lights come on while slowly going around one of the last bends.

The last stretch took longer than usual as this road was mostly untouched by work crews. Peyton did see a ranger's SUV parked in a driveway while they slowly passed. Eventually, she slowed to turn into Diamond Cabin's driveway. Almost at once, she hit the brakes.

“What the hell?”

About halfway past the four-car garage stood Finn’s car. While it still ran, nobody sat inside, and the driver-side door stood wide open. Another car was parked just off to the side of the driveway. Unable to go much further, Peyton pulled in behind Finn’s car.

“That’s the bitch’s car,” Lana announced. “You should block her in.”

“I’m not going to block–”

“Oh, shit, oh, shit, OH SHIT!” Lana’s chant cut off her friend.

“What?” Peyton didn’t even wait for a response because she saw the same commotion near the front porch. “What?!”

At least Peyton had the foresight to turn off her engine, so both coeds hopped out of the car. Immediately, they heard loud, angry voices. Racing around the garage, they had a better view of the confrontation.

“Fuck you, bitch!”

“You’re the homewrecker, whore!”

“I bet you never changed, Bedsheets!”

Bridget and Kimberly were facing each other in the front of the porch’s stairs. Harvey held back the furious mother while Sean watched from the cabin’s doorway. Whitney stood before him and slightly off to the side on the top of the porch. New arrivals Finn and Skye stood about fifteen feet behind Kimberly, unsure of what to do.

Slowing to a stop, Peyton froze as she gawked at her mom. Lana only stopped after realizing that Peyton had. She backed up a few steps to fall in with her best friend. A series of hurled insults flew back and forth as Bridget inched forward despite Harvey’s grip. Kimberly’s movement seemed to match her old cheer captain’s, causing them to remain the same distance apart. The leggy blonde’s hearing only returned when she heard family names spat from Kimberly’s mouth.

“You’re so lucky that’s all my kid sister did to you. Miranda ain’t got nothing on Brandy. She’d put you in the hospital. Hell, Fawn would–-No, even Wrenn would stomp your ass into nothing,” Bridget responded mockingly.

“The rugrats never scared me!” Kimberly flung back.

“That’s not what I heard,” Lana muttered.

“Just let it go, Bee,” Harvey ordered. “Sean’s fine.”

“Yeah, let her go, Dad! Let Bridget go!” Whitney cheered from the porch.

“Quiet! You did enough already!” Harvey yelled over his shoulder.

Recognizing she had a new audience, Whitney gestured to her arm sleeve. The four newcomers all followed her intention and saw Kimberly’s ripped shirt sleeve. Minor scratches could also be seen on Kimberly’s left cheek and side of the neck. Finn shook his head while Skye’s face scrunched up into a grimace. Lana gave her fellow captain a thumbs up.

“Hiding behind Harvey, huh? So fitting for a slut like you,” Kimberly bad-mouthed. “How long did you wait to fuck him? Or has it been going on for years?”

Hitting closer to the truth than Kimberly ever expected, Bridget’s adrenaline rush shot her forward as Harvey lost his grip.

“Maybe I’ll hit up Leo now that–Oww!” Kimberly screeched as Bridget yanked a fistful of her platinum hair.

“Mom!” Sean shouted from the entryway.

“Stay the fuck away from my husband!” Bridget screeched. It wasn’t that she wanted Leonard back or to call off their divorce. She merely didn’t want Kimberly to have any sort of bragging rights.

“I think I won’t! You always stole my men! Payback can be a bitch,” Kimberly taunted.

“I never stole anyone from you,” Bridget insisted, sounding calmer even while mutual hair-pulling ensued.

“Jimmy. You stole Jimmy!” Kimberly nearly sobbed.

“Jimmy Milsom wasn’t your boyfriend. Giving a handjob in a car doesn’t grant you ownership,” Bridget pointed out, exasperated. “And you got way more later in high school from other basketball players.”

“I also gave your son a handy in a cave last week,” Kimberly reminded, sneering.

Whitney looked back at Sean with a chuckle. She’d already avenged that moment today. However, Bridget surged forward again to yank Kimberly’s head sharply by her hair. Harvey yelled at her to let go, which she eventually did.

However, the mention of what the vile woman did to her brother snapped Petyon out of her trance. Briskly marching forward, she started mumbling a string of curses and what she planned to do to the cheater. Lana hurried to match her strides.

Skye spotted the two approaching coeds and nudged Finn. He turned around, saw Peyton’s **** stare, and immediately jumped to his side to block his co-best friend.

SLAP

Finn’s head swung around in confusion as he’d stopped Peyton in time.

“That’s for Sean,” Lana proclaimed after slapping Kimberly across the cheek. The older woman blinked in shock at the strike

“Lana!” Finn scolded his other best friend while Peyton snapped out of her rage.

SLAP

“That’s for your husband, bitch!” Lana declared, shocking everyone by repeating the blow. This time, Kimberly’s hand raised up to touch her left cheek.

Catching her breath and composure after back-to-back slaps, Kimberly lowered her hand while she glared murderously at her other former cheer captain’s daughter. The reappearing sneer showed she wasn’t ready to stand down yet.

“Another whore. You know, I loved getting double-teamed by–”

SLAP

“Ooh!” Whitney sounded while Sean cringed as Lana issued a wicked backhanded slap on this turn. This strike hit the right side of the older woman’s mouth. Harvey blinked in shock at the spit which shot away from Kimberly’s mouth.

“And that’s for my little sister,” Lana announced coldly.

The sound of a car squealing to a stop caused nearly everyone to turn and see Rachel's sedan stop far behind Kimberly's car. However, after wiping her mouth and spotting the blood coming from her lips, the platinum blonde lashed out for ****.

Harvey reacted quicker, turning himself and Bridget so Kimberly's blow landed against his upper back. If he hadn't, the sneaky sucker punch would've hit Bridget square in the nose. Surprised that the older woman did not punch her, Lana threw out her arms in a challenge. Kimberly spat blood in Lana's direction, but it landed harmlessly on the ground. The bring it gesture spurred Finn to jump in between Lana and Kimberly while Harvey carried Bridget further away.

“Stop it! Stop it right now! Would you act like grownups for once?” Finn challenged. “Think of my mom. Do you think this is what she wants? Do you?”

By the time Rachel, Lacey, and Ramsey rushed over, any urge to fight more had been deflated by Finn’s words.