by Mary Peart
He nodded and then turned to look out into the garden again.
With a sudden decision she stood up. “Okay let’s go.” She pulled him up.
“Where are we going?” he asked her in surprise.
“It is too beautiful a day to stay home. I need a man’s presence in the bookstore. We are having a reading competition there today and I am going to need some help.”
Jeremy hesitated staring at her. “I don’t think I can be of much help.”
“I will be the judge of that.” She told him firmly. “Go and eat this delicious meal I prepared and get dressed. I will be waiting over at the house.”
Chapter 10
It was amazing what a lot of money could do. The inn was finished in time for Christine’s party and the lawn was freshly manicured and not a speck of weeds to be found anywhere. Christopher had assigned his gardeners from the manor to be in charge and had hired some others to help and the place looked magnificent.
He had had a small wrought iron bridge made over the stream where you could stand and looked down at the clear bubbling water and he had had a small stable made and the horses had come in sometime last week including the pony he had bought for Christine when she was three years old. She had named him Spot because of the brown and white spots all over him.
Sophia had made sure they maintained the originality as much as possible and had they had painstakingly restored the fireplace. There were six bedrooms upstairs and two downstairs and a quaint powder room with antiquated fittings that she had insisted should remain. The simple wood floors had been polished to a high sheen and Sophia had gotten some rainbow colored throw rugs to place on the floors.
The whole family had come over to spend the night there and the children had excitedly explored the place.
The party was going to be held outdoors and the party planner had been there since nine to put things in motion. They had spoken about it and had invited Jeremy and his son along with Lauren.
They had arrived three days ago and had surprised him. He had cried as he held the little boy in his arms and had not stopped tell Christopher thanks. “I can die a happy man now,” he had told Sybil. They were all staying at the house but Jeremy had told Lauren that there could no longer be anything sexual between them and she had agreed.
“Do you think we should have them over for Christine’s party?” he asked her the night after Lauren and Jeremy’s son had arrived. They were in their bedroom and had just gotten into bed when he asked her.
She looked at him in surprise. She knew he had found Jeremy’s mother in law and his son and had invited them over as a surprise for Jeremy and had not believed he could have done something like that. When she had asked him about it he had told her that it was nothing and she should let it go.
Jeremy had called her and told her that he was never going to be able to repay her husband. She had told him that night when they were fighting about her seeing Jeremy that she did not know him and she had spoken the truth. There were so many different sides to the man she had marry that she was still finding out some parts of him.
“Why?” she asked him softly.
“It’s up to you baby,” he told her with a shrug. “I was just thinking that the guy’s son is here and he is ill and not able to really take him anywhere. It would not do any harm.”
“I was asking why you are doing all this for him?” she clarified. They had taken a shower together and he had spent the time sponging down her body which had led to other things so the shower had taken a very long time.
“You think I am doing it for him?” his tone was slightly amused as he folded his hands behind his head and looked at her. She was still sitting with her legs up to her chin.
“Then who are you doing it for?”
“You know the answer to that Sophia,” he said a little brusquely. “I don’t want him coming between us and I don’t want to be the guy who could have helped our daughter’s biological father and never did. I want to be able to look at her and tell her that I did the best I could.”
He always did things that amazed her and she never thought it possible for him to do anything that would bowl her over but she was wrong.
“Do you know why I love you so much?” she asked him huskily.
“Because I am good in bed?” he teased, his body slowly coming alive at the look in her eyes.
“That as well but more importantly because you are the kindest and the most giving man I have ever met. I will never know what I ever did to deserve your love but I am not going to question it in case it disappears, in case I wake up one day and find that it was all a dream. I love you because even though you are tough in business, you are soft and tender where it matters,” she placed her hand on his chest right over where his heart was and felt the steady beat there. “I am the luckiest woman in the entire world and I want you to know that.”
“A very pretty speech,” his voice was raw with emotions as he closed his hand over hers. “It’s easy to love you Sophia, there is no hardship there and I want to make sure that you are happy and taken care of, that’s what I am here for, and that’s what’s important to me.” She climbed on top of him and rested her head on his solid chest.
She blinked back the tears as he closed his arms around her and that was where she slept for the night snuggled on top of him feeling the warmth and security of his touch on her.
*****
Jeremy said no at first when Sophia asked him and she almost left it at that. She had expressed her fear to Christopher about Christine being around him. “What if he blurts out that he is her father?”
“Talk to him about it first.” He had suggested.
“I don’t want to cause trouble,” he told her hesitantly.
“We just want your son to be a part of the celebration to acknowledge Christine’s birthday. We have not told her that Christopher is not her biological father Jeremy and we want to keep it that way for a bit.”
“I will think about it and pitch it to Lauren.” He had told her.
But he had come along with his son and Lauren who looked soft and relaxed in a peach blouse and faded denims. Jeremy was looking a lot better and of course happier and had his son in his arms. The activities had already started when they arrived with Sybil behind them. Christopher had invited Christine’s friends from school and some of the neighborhood kids and Madge and the nannies from the manor had come by the night before to help with the children.
There were a myriad of balloons in red white and blue and were tied to the chairs that had been put out. The children were not sitting but were running all over the yard; some were being entertained by the clown while some still were in the bounce about and the trampoline.
The birthday girl was in her element and was incredibly adoring in slim fitting black jeans and a red and white blouse with a red bow in her wild unruly curls. She would run every now and then to her dad who would scoop her up into his arms for a cuddle.
Jeremy looked at them and saw how much a father he was to her and knew that he could never do anything to jeopardize that even if he wanted to. He would never be her father and he knew that now. He saw the little girl fling her arms around Christopher’s neck and planted a big kiss on his jaw and felt a sliver of regret that he had rejected her but then he looked over to where his son was standing and looking in fascination to something the clown was doing and knew he was his. He was so engrossed in looking at his son that he had not heard when Christopher came up beside him. “Quite a strong looking boy,”
Jeremy’s head whipped around to look at him. He looked so strong and healthy and everything he was not that Jeremy felt resentment. “He is,” he said forcing a smile. “He is a very happy child and I am glad for that.”
“My daughter just told me that she is so glad I am her dad that I could not speak for a moment.” Jeremy heard the emphasis on the words ‘my daughter’ and did not comment on it.
“She was never mine,” he commented. “I see that now and I think I regret it a little
bit but there is nothing I can do about it now.” He met the man’s piercing gaze and hastened to add. “I am so grateful for what you and your family are doing that I have no idea how I am going to repay you.”
“It’s nothing,” Christopher’s eyes found his wife who was drying off Christopher Junior as he climbed out of the water slide. She was wearing a simple blue and white dress with puff sleeves that looked great on her. Her thick natural hair was braided and hung at one side of her neck in a thick plait and made her look like a teenager. His gaze wandered over to Christine as she raced across the yard to where her friends were eating hot dogs and drinking apple juice.
He had ignored his wife’s protest and had provided the gamut of fast food ranging from burgers to snow cones. “It’s a kid’s party baby, let them be.” He had made a concession to her dislike for fast food by making sure there were fruits of every description.
“My family means more to me than the company I built from scratch,” his lips lifted in a fleeting smile as he watched the quieter of the twins, Christian avidly watching the clown performed his tricks. The boy was too serious and intent for his age. “I will stop at nothing to protect them,” he turned back to look at Jeremy and he heard the hint of steel behind his voice and felt an involuntary shudder went through his body. He was not a man to be crossed.
*****
Christine insisted on her father cutting the huge vanilla princess cake with chocolate frosting with her along with her two brothers. “I am sure you don’t want an old man like me in the picture with you cutting the cake sweetie,” he had teased her as she dragged him towards the table.
“Daddy stop teasing,” she had rebuked him as she pulled him along. “I want you to do it.” And that was that.
Her mother and grandmother helped with the cutting up of the cake and the sharing of ice cream and afterwards Christopher took her hand and led her away towards the stream. “I have been trying to get you to myself for the entire afternoon without success.” He stood behind her as they looked at the clear water bubbling over the smooth stones.
“The children-“ she protested even though she leaned back against his solid chest with a sigh. He had gone overboard again with their daughter’s party and she could not help but be grateful to him.
“The children have more than enough chaperones,” he told her, planting a kiss on top of her head. “Your husband needs you.”
“Okay,” she put her hands over the hands he had around her waist and held on. “I noticed you talking to Jeremy, is everything okay?” she tilted her head to look up at him.
“Were you afraid I was going to beat him up?” One thick eyebrow lifted in question as he looked down at her.
“Christopher be serious,” she rebuked him softly.
“We were just talking baby,” he moved his shoulders in a little shrug. “I was just reminding him how important my family was to me.”
She looked at him for a minute then turned to look at the peaceful scene before her. “I thought it would be weird having him here and that I would feel uncomfortable because of our past relationship,” she ran her hands over his unconsciously. “I feel nothing but pity for him and I know that as long as I live and no matter what happens between us I will always have this intense absorbing love for you. I shudder to think that I was willing to settle for that off hand emotion I felt for him and be content with it. Most people settle Christopher and that is why the slightest wave separates them. There is nothing that would make me want to be away from you.”
He turned her around to face him. “You have a way of making me weak with love for you,” his voice was hoarse and his hands trembled slightly as he cupped her exquisite face. “I always knew I did not want to settle until I found the one and when I met you I knew you were that one. You are my first and my last. The first woman I have ever loved, the first woman I ever wanted to marry and spend my life with, the first woman to ever send me to the heights of such unbelievable ecstasy and the first woman to bear my children. There will never be anyone else.”
There were a number of people gathered in their yard celebrating their daughter’s birthday, yet it was as if they were the only ones there. The noise of the children playing and the adults chatting and laughing faded away as they looked at each other. The only sounds they heard was the bubbling of the stream, a bird chirping somewhere in one of the trees and the beating of their hearts. It was a magical moment and one that nothing could intrude on. He lifted her head and bent his slowly to take her lips in a soft kiss that had her melting against him with a sigh, her arms going around his strong neck.
Jeremy had wandered over to hand his son a hot dog and his eyes caught the intimate moment. He stood stock still as he looked at the couple together, his heart racing inside his chest at the embrace. He had never experienced anything like what they were sharing and he felt the envy and regret inside him.
With a sigh he bent at the knees and handed his son his meal. “I love you Daddy,” the little boy surprised him by saying. Jeremy went still and stared at the little boy in front of him. He was the spitting image of him and his blue eyes met his own as he stared at him intently.
“I love you too son,” he said gruffly pulling the boy in for a tight hug. At least he had someone who loved him.
*****
Lauren and Sybil became fast friends. She would go over to the house and sit in the cozy kitchen and watch as Sybil prepare her meal or did her baking and they would talk. Jeremy would take long walks in the nearby park with his son while they got to know each other.
They talked about marriage and Lauren told her about hers with Merrick. “I was content to be an ornament for so long because I got to do as much shopping as I could. I was the trophy wife and I did not mind it one bit.” She ate the slice of lemon meringue pie appreciatively as Sybil busied herself measuring flour and wheat to make bread for supper.
She had taken the odd day off and today being Friday she was planning on making her delicious pot pie for dinner. Even though Lauren was around she still insisted on doing the cooking for all of them. “When Jeremy came around I was shown something different.” She caught the woman’s swift glance at her and sighed. “I knew what I was doing was wrong Sybil but I could not help myself. I ended up hurting my daughter and my husband and pulling Jeremy along with it and I am sorry about it. I did not love Merrick and I was not even hard up for money, I had my own but I was desperate for a man back then and Merrick was desirable enough so he did the job.”
Sybil measured flour efficiently and started the sieving. She had heard from Matthew and at least they were talking; he was coming for dinner later. “Life has a way of showing us up in a lot of ways. We often go around making mistakes before we find our way. I am sure you have learned from the mistakes now.” She dusted flour from her fingertips and poured herself a cup of tea and took a slice of pie.
“When I got married to my first husband, Michael I was flushed and in love and eager to please,” she smiled as she sipped the refreshing liquid. She had taken the stool opposite the other woman and sniffed as her exotic scent competed with the delicious aroma of baking. When she had first seen Lauren with her curvy figure and straight blonde hair she had been prepared to hate her on principle. The woman was probably two years younger than she was but she looked like she had just reached thirty. It had taken her some time to warm up to her. “He was the same as well. We did everything together and I thought we would be together for a very long time. When our daughter came along we were ecstatic and making all these plans for a family that maybe included a son as well but it was not to be and we were very disappointed. I was not prepared to lose him so quickly.”
Lauren listened to the story in fascination. She had finished her tea and cleaned her plate of the delicious pie. Without asking Sybil, she went to cut her another slice. “I never wanted another child after Sheila. When I was pregnant Merrick kept saying that he hoped it was a son and that at least I would have served some purpose.” She laughed
quickly to mask the hurt and Sybil looked at her quickly seeing the hurt there. “When he found out it was a daughter he withdrew from me and left me to myself mostly. When I was in labor he barely took me to the hospital and sat there in the waiting room until I had the baby. It was when Sheila reached thirteen that he really paid her any mind and then he started showering her with expensive gifts successfully buying her love. I pretended to be happy for all the friends he had coming over.”
“I am sorry,” Sybil placed a hand over hers in sympathy and Lauren pulled strength from the friendship for the first time in her life.
*****
Something was not adding up. The pharmaceutical company he had taken over several years ago had been losing profit steadily. He had gotten rid of most of the former employees including Jeremy Matthews and had kept on Brian Glover, who had been in lower management position and had proven himself to be eager to learn and eager to prove himself and he had checked out okay but now something did not look right.
The new arthritis drug had been approved by the FDA and should have been flying off the shelves but they were collecting dusk on the shelves of the pharmacies. He had done the investigations and discovered that someone was making a fortune by substituting the drug with something else. He had checked into Glover’s accounts and there too many zeroes in his account. The man had either inherited a vast sum of money or he was the one responsible and Christopher did not think he was the mastermind behind the whole thing. He was not that smart or innovative either.
He called Marcus. “Yes boss.”
“I have an assignment for you.”
The man hesitated. “I thought everything was okay on the home front.” He dared to say.
“It is,” he told him impatiently. He told him of his suspicions. “I want you to stay on him like white on rice and see where he goes and who he talks to and let me know.”
“I will boss.” The man said and hung up.
He wanted to make sure before he made his move. He settled back against the comfortable leather chair, a frown between his brows. After the birthday party Christine had still been on a high from it and had spent the time after digging through the mountain of presents she had received. He no longer had a problem with Matthews but he now had a much bigger one.