by Jill Sanders
Since they finished the second coat in half the time it took to paint the first coat, they spent some time rummaging through the garage to find the chest of drawers and its matching nightstands. They even found two blue glass lamps with white shades that were a far cry better than the gaudy gold lamps.
She found a few area rugs and was excited until they unrolled them. They were worse than the ones they’d removed from the bedroom in the first place.
“Maybe while we’re out getting curtains, we can look at rugs,” she suggested.
“Let’s move all this into the house, then we can head into town and grab some dinner while we’re at it.”
She glanced at her watch and laughed. “We just ate two hours ago.”
He shrugged. “I’ve worked up an appetite.”
“Okay, shopping first, then we’ll find someplace to eat.” She glanced down at their paint-covered clothes. “Someplace we won’t be kicked out of.”
She helped him move the nightstands into the house and stood back as he rolled the chest of drawers in on a small handcart. She was surprised that he was able to remove the other nightstands by himself and while he was doing that, she crawled under the bed to see if she could remove the massive headboard and footboard from the bed frame.
“What are you doing down there?” Simon asked when he returned to the room.
“We can remove the headboard and footboard.” She stuck her head out from under the bed. “That will leave the bedframe, so you don’t have this massive thing taking up so much space.”
He knelt down and looked at the connections. “I’ll go grab a screwdriver. Better yet, I saw a drill in the garage. You can do the unscrewing while I hold and remove the heavy pieces.”
They worked together and, less than half an hour later, the room was cleared of all the clutter and bulky furniture. She surprised him by requesting the bed be moved from the wall where it had been to set it directly facing the wall of windows. They set the nightstands with the lamps on either side while the chest of drawers sat where the bed had been earlier.
“There.” She dusted her hands off and smiled at the progress. “Once we hang the wood blinds back up and get some flowing white curtains in here, this room is going to look amazing. Too bad you don’t have a large piece of artwork to hang over the bed.”
“There are a few pieces in the basement we can possibly move around,” he suggested. “Later. For now, let’s head into town. The snow looks like it’s getting worse, and I don’t want to have issues getting back up the mountain after we grab some dinner.”
She laughed. “Admit it, you’re just hungry.”
He chuckled. “Fine, I’m starved.”
“Okay, food first, then we’ll shop.” She reached up on her toes and kissed him.
Once again, she sat back in his car while he drove down the mountain. He hadn’t been lying; the snow was falling faster now. She’d lived her entire life in Colorado and could tell when a snowstorm was going to end up bad. She figured they had a couple of hours before the roads would be impassable.
Pulling out her phone, she checked the weather report and laughed when it showed the temperatures in the high seventies by tomorrow.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Colorado weather.” She tucked her phone back into her purse. “Below freezing with eight inches of snow tonight, and seventy degrees by noon tomorrow.”
He smiled over at her, and she remembered a time just like this before. It had been a week before her seventeenth birthday. He’d gotten them lift tickets and had driven her car up to Breckenridge for the day.
“You’re quiet,” he said as they made their way to the nearest hardware store.
“I was just remembering the time we went up to Breckinridge one Saturday to go skiing.”
He smiled over at her. “We had a good time. I think I ended up with the flu?”
She laughed. “You did. Only because I’d forgotten my gloves…” She dropped off as she remembered he’d given her his gloves. Just like he’d done last night.
Sighing, she reached over and took his gloved hand in hers. “I guess I’m always forgetting them.”
“It’s a good thing I reminded you this time.” He squeezed her gloved hand.
“Yes.” She looked down at her cream-colored cotton-lined gloves. “I should have never doubted your reasons for leaving. I never even thought that there could be a bigger reason for you turning your back on everything you loved so dear.”
“I did what I thought was best,” he said softly.
“I know. At least now I do,” she admitted. “You hurt me.”
“And I’m willing to spend my entire life making it up to you,” he promised with a smile.
Just hearing those words, she knew without a doubt that she would do anything to make that dream come true. Spending the rest of her life with him was all she could ever hope for.
Chapter 14
First thing Monday morning, Simon was called into a virtual meeting. He took the call in the conference room so as not to disturb Laura’s work. She was once again on the phone trying to find workers to help move and set up all the furniture.
“What do you mean the permitting is backed up?” he asked Barbara.
“I mean, some man from the city stopped by the office this morning and told me that the permit had been placed on hold.” Barbara replied.
“Did he say why?”
“No, just that you should give him a call on his direct line. I’ve forwarded you his name and number in the email I sent you earlier.”
He pulled up the message and frowned at the contact.
“I thought we were working with Peter down at the permit office?” he asked her after seeing the name Max Duke with a number behind it.
“Yes, which is why I was thrown off when the man came into the office. Besides, he was… well, not very professional.”
Simon felt his stomach sink as he looked at the name.
“I’ll handle it from here,” Simon said, guessing that he knew exactly who had stopped by his offices. Another one of his father’s goons.
“Do you want me to give Peter a call?” Barbara asked.
“No.” The sinking feeling in his gut grew. “I’ll deal with it.”
“Okay,” Barbara said slowly. “If our permits fall through…”
“I know.” He sighed. “I’ll personally make sure everything goes through. Even if I have to head down to the office today myself.” He added, “I’ll keep you posted.”
After hanging up with Barbara, he took a couple of deep breaths before punching the number for Max Duke.
“So, I hear you’re back in town.”
Simon knew the voice instantly and felt his anger grow.
“Dad,” he spat out.
“Don’t call me that,” the man hissed.
“You know, I’m trying very hard to forget the fact that we have the same genes. You’re the one holding onto that fact,” he said smoothly.
“We had an agreement that you would never step foot in my state again,” his father growled.
“It’s not your state, and I never agreed to anything other than getting on a plane.”
“You think you can play games with me? You know how much power I hold. I can make your life miserable.”
“You’d hold up opening an orphanage just to keep your little secret?” Simon tried to keep his temper under check. After all, that’s what the senator wanted. To get under his skin.
“You think you can come back into my territory? I know your kind. You’re after what’s mine. You think I’ll play games with you, boy?” The man’s voice rose and, by the time he was done talking, Simon had his phone a few inches from his ear. He knew his kind. Did that mean he had half-brothers or sisters out there? How many other women had he paid off to get rid of his problems?
“I’m not here for you. I’d die a happy man if I never saw or spoke to you again. I don’t want anything from you. I never will. Stay out of my w
ay and I’ll stay out of yours,” he said before hanging up on the man.
Instantly, his phone rang. Seeing the same number that he’d just called, he hit ignore and tossed his phone down on the table.
“Sorry,” Laura’s voice sounded from behind him. “I didn’t mean to overhear…”
He turned towards her, and she rushed to his side.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, touching his shoulder.
“Yeah,” he lied.
“Your father?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said again. He looked over at the phone when it rang again. When she moved to answer it, he stopped her. “Don’t. He can’t have what he wants.”
“What is that?” she asked softly.
“To ruin me. I’ve worked too hard in the past five years for that to ever happen.”
“Tell me what you need.” She wrapped her arms around him.
“You,” he answered after a moment, then he leaned down and placed his lips softly over hers.
“I’m here.”
“So are we,” a deep voice said from the doorway.
Simon turned to see Logan and Amy standing in the doorway, along with two other people.
“Shit,” he thought, then realized he’d said it out loud. “Sorry, I thought the conference room was empty.”
Logan smiled and motioned to the room. “It was at the time.”
“Sorry.” Simon picked up his still-ringing phone and hit ignore, then shoved it in his pocket. He glanced over to Laura, who was smiling at him. “We’ll get out of your way.” He took her hand and pulled her out of the room so that the group could use the room.
“Later,” Amy said to Laura as they passed by. Laura nodded quickly before following him outside.
“Guess we’ll have to be more careful around here,” he said when they were back in her office.
She laughed. “Do you know how many times I’ve walked in on those two going at it?” She shook her head. “Trust me, the entire office has seen them kissing at one point.”
He smiled and walked back over to wrap his arms around her. “Thanks.”
“For?” she asked, looking up at him.
“For breaking me out of the funk my father caused.”
“Any time.” She leaned up and kissed him again. “What’s he done now?”
“Threatened my permits.”
Her eyes grew angry immediately.
“He can’t do that.” She jerked out of his arms. Then she marched over to her desk and picked up her phone.
“Get me David,” she said into the phone. He waited, wanting to tell her to not bother, but figured it couldn’t hurt. “David, Laura here, I hear permits for ReNewed Foster Facility are in jeopardy.” She was quiet for a while. “Will you check on it for me? I have a personal stake in them going through. I know my uncle would be highly disappointed if our project was held up.” She was silent again. “Yes, my mother was looking forward to it.” She smiled and winked at him. “Thanks, David,” she said before hanging up.
“Okay, want to tell me what that was all about?” He leaned on the edge of her desk.
“David Hopkins went to school with my uncle and mother. He’s known my family forever. He’s had the hots for my mom since grade school.” She smiled. “He’s the director down at the City of Golden offices.” She touched his hand. “He’s assured me that he will do everything in his power to make sure the permits go through and don’t get held up.”
It made him feel slightly better, but still, he knew how much pull a senator had over a director of the city. Money talked. It always had.
He’d spent a year looking into his father’s business practices.
There were rumors about his father and, from what he’d found out, he knew most of those rumors were true. His father was as corrupt as they said. He didn’t have proof that he’d rigged his elections, but the rest was so obvious to anyone who looked deep enough.
There were articles out there about his corruption, but then his father would donate or be connected to a charity and it was almost as if everyone just forgot the bad. It didn’t matter how corrupt you were, just as long as you paid off the right people and occasionally did something positive.
Still, the reason Simon had finally returned to Colorado was that he knew that his bank account was easily double that of his father’s at the moment.
Still, he hadn’t thought about the power his father still wielded with his position. An oversight that could cost him everything.
“Relax,” Laura said looking up into his eyes. “We’ll get through this.” She took his hand in hers. “Together.”
For the rest of the week, the thought of losing everything hung over his head. Even when Laura moved a few of her things into his place and started spending each night in his bed, he worried.
It was four weeks before Christmas and every time they walked through a furniture store together, he was reminded by the plethora of decorations and the Christmas songs pumping through the speakers that his deadline was getting closer.
He was standing in the middle of one of three stores they’d visited that day when he realized with a slight shock that he hadn’t even purchased a gift for Laura yet.
“Something wrong?” Laura asked, stopping next to him.
“No,” he quickly lied, and he continued to follow her throughout the store. He tried to come up with the perfect gift for her.
She stopped, and he almost bumped into her. “Oh, I forgot. I’m supposed to ask if you’re free for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. Logan and Amy want us at their place. My mother will be there.” He noticed a slight glimmer in her eyes, but since he was so worried about what to get her, he just nodded his agreement.
How many years had he spent Thanksgiving with her family? He’d spent every single holiday at their house after he’d met Laura.
After he wrote yet another check for items she’d picked out at the store, she turned to him and dusted her hands.
“That’s it,” she said with a smile.
“What?” he asked with a slight frown.
“That’s the last item we needed. Now we just have to wait for everything to be delivered and set up.”
“What?” He glanced around. “Aren’t there more…” He thought through everything they’d ordered or purchased in the last three weeks. “Beds?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No.”
“Chairs? Tables? Something.” He couldn’t believe that she had ordered or found every single item that would fill the massive building that would be home to so many.
“It’s all done. Well, ordered and purchased, at least. Now the real work begins. After it’s all delivered, we have to assemble and set up everything.” She smiled, then walked over and wrapped her arms around him. “How about we celebrate? Let’s take the rest of the day off and do something… fun.”
Instantly, his mind went to having her in bed again. He’d enjoyed falling asleep and waking up next to her all week long.
How had he gone five years without her? How could he ever imagine going another night without feeling her heartbeat? Hearing her soft breathing in the darkness of the night?
He was hooked. Addicted to her. Just like he’d been all those years ago.
“What do you say we head back, change out of our work clothes, and you let me take you for a night out?” he offered.
He knew he’d hit the mark when her smile doubled.
“That sounds amazing,” she practically purred.
As they were walking out of the store, a tall blond man stopped them.
“Tom.” Laura laughed and hugged the man. “I didn’t expect to see you down here.”
The man laughed and hugged her back. “Well, I do own the place.”
“I know, it’s just, I know Amber is in town right now.”
He chuckled. “I’m meeting her here. She wanted to redecorate one of our extra bedrooms.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m just thankful I own furniture stores.”
; Laura chuckled. “Oh, Tom, this is Simon.”
Tom’s eyes widened. “The Simon?”
“Afraid so,” Simon said, taking Tom’s outstretched hand and shaking it.
Tom chuckled. “You’re the one opening up the foster care facility in the old Coors place?”
“Guilty,” he said with a smile.
“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Tom added, then the man’s smile doubled as his eyes moved past him. “My wife.” He walked over and wrapped his arms around a pretty blonde woman that Simon had seen in several movies.
Amber Scott was as drop-dead gorgeous in real life as she was on the screen. Still, she had nothing on Laura, he thought as Tom introduced them.
“We won’t keep you long,” Amber said after a few moments of chatter.
“I hear you’re redecorating a guest room?” Laura said. “You know, I could help out if you need ideas about colors or design?”
Amber’s smile grew. “I think we’ll be okay.” She glanced up at Tom. “I’ve decided to paint the room pink.” Her words hung in the air for a moment, then Tom let out a whoop and scooped up his wife and spun her in a circle.
“Okay, what’d we…” Laura’s words dropped off. “You’re pregnant?” she asked, almost squealing.
“Yup,” Tom answered with a smile. “We were supposed to find out the sex and do a whole party, but…” He looked down at Amber. “This was more our style.”
“Wow, congratulations,” Laura added. “You’ll be joining…” She bit her bottom lip and then shook her head. “Sorry,” she said, clearing her throat.
“Oh no, you don’t.” Amber narrowed her eyes at Laura. “Who? Spill.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
He looked down at Laura and knew instantly by the way her cheeks had turned a shade of bright pink that she had a secret.
“I promised not to tell…” Laura started, but then she leaned closer to Amber. “Don’t tell anyone, but last week Amy found out that she’s pregnant. She’s going to tell my brother tomorrow night. When the entire family is around.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” Amber hugged Laura. “Cousins, of sorts.” She laughed. “Since Amy and Kristen act like sisters.”