by Eunice Hart
She rolled her eyes at him. “You would’ve done the same if I hadn’t kissed you at the last minute.”
“Fair enough.” Justin heaved a great sigh. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Elena told him.
Forget the marvelous sex. Being in love was the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to anyone.
Chapter 10
Madison Matthews, Relationship Adviser
The news of their engagement spread rather quickly. How it had reached so many ears was still a mystery to Elena. For a while, the only people who’d been aware about it were herself and Justin. And then, rather reluctantly, she had told her mother when she went to pick up Madison. Granny Pat hadn’t even waited for her daughter to finish talking before she leapt to her feet and started yelling her elation to the ceiling.
“Ha!” she exclaimed, beaming at Elena, her eyes brighter than she’d seen them in decades. “I knew it! I knew it was going to happen. See why my advice is so valuable?”
She did a little jig, which Elena was sure wasn’t very appropriate for a person her age. Around her, several cats scrambled in different directions, positively startled. Granny Pat didn’t even look bothered. She had eyes for no one but her daughter. The expression on her face was a smug one, but Elena could tell that behind that expression lay immense pride and joy for her daughter.
It was still early in the afternoon, and although Elena had planned to leave so she could drop Madison off with Kelsie and have some together time with her friends, she and her daughter still sat in her mother’s living room. Two coffee mugs sat on a little table between Elena and Granny Pat, both nearly empty. Madison sat on a couch not too far away, clutching a soda, her attention focused on Jeremiah the cat, who seemed more interested in trying to swipe the can out of her hand than the stroking he was receiving.
“You’re not going to start telling everyone, are you?” Elena asked her mother, twisting the ring around her finger absentmindedly. “I mean, I’m okay with people knowing I’m engaged to Justin, but I don’t think I’m ready for paparazzi just yet.”
She wasn’t very far from the truth. Like it or not, Justin was a billionaire, and a bit of a celebrity by default. Sure, it wasn’t that easy to recognize him unless you knew him on a personal level, but he was still known. If word got out that Justin Chin was getting married to Elena, she’d never be able to walk ten feet without getting assaulted by the media. Elena wasn’t sure she was ready for that kind of publicity just yet.
Her mother sank back onto her seat, looking slightly offended. “Me! No, of course not – no one has to know about this. Well, except maybe Loretta and Barbara, they’ve been dying to find out for ages…no pun intended…”
“What?”
“What? Anyway, as I was saying, your secret is safe with me.” Granny Pat’s eyes swiveled in Madison’s direction. “How does my granddaughter feel about this new development?”
Elena was glad she wasn’t drinking coffee anymore because she most definitely would have sprayed it in her mother’s face. She blinked at her mother, at a complete loss for words.
She hadn’t told Madison yet. Elena wasn’t certain if it was because she’d never exactly had this sort of conversation with her daughter before or because she’d hoped to tell her much later, though she suspected it was the former reason. Talking to Madison about something like this…it seemed a little odd. What was she going to say to her daughter? Hey, Madison, guess what? I’m getting someone to replace your deadbeat dad. He’s Chinese and can give you all the ice cream you want. How’s that? It just didn’t sound like the right time.
Granny Pat seemed to know what she was thinking.
“For someone as smart as you, dear, you can be pretty dense sometimes,” she said with a chuckle, and Elena stared at her in surprise. “Madison is young, but she’s just about the smartest eight-year-old I have ever met in my entire life. Do you really think she doesn’t see how your relationship with Justin has been developing?”
Elena frowned at her mother. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Nothing I’m not going to tell you right now.” Granny Pat shifted in her seat. “While you and Justin were on your little cruise, I had some bonding time with my granddaughter. It turns out she knows more about your relationship with Justin than she lets on.”
That was all it took to make the hair rise on the back of Elena’s neck. Was it…was it possible that Madison had actually heard them…having sex?
Granny Pat laughed, dragging her out of her thoughts. “I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not it. I can assure you, your daughter’s mind is still as pure as water falling from the clouds.”
“That’s not necessarily pure,” Elena pointed out.
Her mother rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Anyway, Madison told me she’s been more involved in your relationship than you thought.”
All of this was just so confusing. Elena’s eyebrows furrowed. “I still don’t understand.”
“Madison, come here, please,” Granny Pat said, and Madison slid out of her seat, causing Jeremiah to leap off her lap with a screech. The cat landed gracefully on all fours, shot Madison a look that suggested distaste, and strutted away like he had just been named king of the universe. Madison set down her soda on the table and came to sit on her grandmother’s lap, a small smile of confusion on her face.
“Madison?” Granny Pat said.
“Yes, Granny?”
“Tell your mother what you did.”
Madison locked eyes with her mother and Elena’s heart nearly skipped a beat. What did she have such a look on her face? What could Madison possibly have done concerning her mother’s relationship with Justin? There were so many questions racing through Elena’s mind. If they weren’t answered soon, she was going to explode like a nuclear bomb.
It seemed to take centuries – millennia, even – for Madison to speak. When her daughter finally opened her mouth, Elena thought she might die from so much suspense.
“I tried to make you and Justin get married so that Justin could become my new Daddy.”
Of all things to say…Elena most certainly had not been expecting this. She gaped at her daughter, not quite comprehending. “Maddie, what on earth are you talking about?”
Her daughter’s grin widened. “I kept talking about you getting married to Justin so you would want to marry him.”
“Madison told me that she’s brought up the topic of marriage more than once around you,” Granny Pat said, stroking her granddaughter’s hair. “Remember any of such instances?”
Elena remembered as surely as she could remember her name. The first time Madison had brought it up had been on their way to Granny Pat’s, several months ago. The mere question had nearly caused an accident that day. And then there was the night at the restaurant, after the Christmas play at her school. But Elena had never really imagined it was part of a scheme. The way she’d seen it, it was just a random blurt that managed to make both Elena and Justin feel rather uncomfortable.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered. She’d always known Madison to be very intelligent for her age, but this…this was incredible. Not once had she suspected that her daughter was up to something like this. But it all made sense now: the way Madison always got excited when Justin was around; the way her face suddenly brightened whenever Elena announced that she was going out to see him, even though she wasn’t joining them on their date – she’d been happy because her plan seemed to be working.
What else did her daughter know that she didn’t?
Madison must have figured her mother was unhappy with her because the next thing she said was, “I’m sorry, Mommy. I should have told you about –”
Elena didn’t wait for her to finish. Before she could even stop herself, she surged forward. Madison and her grandmother gave a startle and Madison’s face took on an expression of fear, but Elena simply knelt before them and threw her arms around her daughter. A second later, she
felt Madison’s arms wrap around her.
“I’m not mad at you, Maddie,” she told her daughter, hugging her tighter. “I could never be mad at you for this. You just might have caused something wonderful to happen to me.”
“You mean the ring? I was hoping for that.”
For a moment, Elena froze. Then she relaxed and continued to hug her daughter. “You knew about my engagement to Justin this whole time. Oh, Maddie, Maddie.”
All of a sudden, a larger pair of arms encircled them both. It was Granny Pat. All three of them remained that way for what could have been an entire year. All were silent – at least until Madison spoke.
“I love you, Mommy,” she said, her face buried in her mother’s neck.
“I love you, too, Maddie,” Elena told her.
In an instant, Granny Pat’s arms release them and the woman let out a low groan. “Okay, that’s a wrap. You two are going to destroy my backbone before time does.” She chuckled as Elena rose to her feet and plucked her daughter off her lap, then stood up as well. “Now that all that’s been settled, who’s hungry? I can whip up something for us to eat.”
“Cookies?” Madison said hopefully.
“No, dear.” Granny Pat smiled at her. “Not this time.”
***
Two months. That was how long it took for the news of their engagement to spread. It didn’t bother Justin so much, but he could tell it made Elena very uncomfortable. Sometimes he wondered if he should have postponed his proposal to her, kept it to himself until sometime later. But, Elena seemed very happy with the new development. Nevertheless, Justin did his best to ensure that she left their home without much disturbance from the media.
The Sparkling Spout benefited greatly from the publicity. Every day, people trooped in to get a look at the local barmaid who was engaged to be married to a billionaire. Martha and Giselle didn’t seem to mind – they thought it was great for business, having so many potential customers come in so early – but clearly Elena wasn’t enjoying the publicity much. So when Justin suggested that she limit the amount of time she spent at work, she was nothing if not willing. She still sang on some nights at the bar, though, and of course that drew more attention than ever before. Justin personally enjoyed being able to spend more time with his fiancée. He would’ve suggested that she stop work completely, just so he could have her all to himself, but he knew she would object to that idea so he never brought it up.
Not everyone was okay with their relationship, though, and some of them were bold enough to step forward and give their opinion. One of such people was Alicia Hargreaves, who seemed really steamed that Justin wouldn’t let her come within ten feet of him anymore. Before long, Justin started receiving text messages from an anonymous person, all of them venom-filled. Alicia had been very liberal with her language. She called him all sorts of names and went as far as predicting that Justin’s relationship with Elena would never work out. By the time Justin finally stopped reading her messages, he’d gotten pretty uncomfortable.
At least Madison was okay with things as they were. Elena had briefed Justin on her conversation with her mother and daughter a couple of months ago. And Justin had found out firsthand the day he took her out to get ice cream. He’d told Elena he wanted some ‘bonding’ time with her daughter and they left for the nearest ice cream parlor, where Madison didn’t hesitate to order more ice cream than she could possibly fit in her stomach.
After watching her eat for about ten minutes, Justin spoke.
“Your mother told me what you did,” he said. “You know, concerning our relationship.”
Madison just blinked at him and returned her gaze to the ice cream she was intent on eliminating to the last scoop. Justin could tell she knew what he was talking about. Unless Elena had been wrong, this girl was way smarter than she let on.
“Anyway,” he continued, “I’m just grateful for what you did. You sort of got into my head without me even realizing it. And look where we are now.” He gestured at his ring finger, grinning. “I have to say, I’m really glad you’re okay with me marrying your mom.”
Madison was silent some more. Then, quite suddenly, she said, “I think you’d make a great Daddy.”
Justin’s breath hitched in his throat. It was amazing how a simple statement could make him feel different, like hearing the words I love you from Elena. He stared at the little girl sitting across the table from him and his lips slowly curved into a smile. She thought he would make a great father – stepfather, but who cared? She truly wanted him to be a part of their lives. Justin found himself feeling like the happiest man in the entire universe.
These days, there was little he did that didn’t have something to do with the forthcoming wedding. He and Elena had decided that it would take place in four months. According to Elena, what better time to get married than on the anniversary of their meeting? Justin didn’t mind having to wait until July to tie the knot with her. At least he still had her and Madison. It didn’t matter if the wedding didn’t take place until next year. All he wanted was to be with the woman who gave his life meaning. As long as he had her, there was no problem.
Not that his mind wasn’t completely free of worry. Although he knew how unhealthy that was, how prone he was to make reckless decisions because of worry, he couldn’t prevent the thoughts that made their way into his mind.
Just how long was he going to have Elena by his side? Being engaged or married to her was no sure guarantee that nothing could happen to bring them apart. If that was the case, she would not have been single when he met her, to begin with. Her ex-husband, Darling, or Darrel – whatever – would still be in her life. This woman had already been divorced once. What were the odds that it wouldn’t happen again? What was to say that Justin wouldn’t get his heart crushed by this woman?
When he thought about it, it was quite funny that his worry was not that Elena might find some way to run away with his money or something. He already knew she wasn’t that sort of woman. She wanted him for him, and not for his attachments. And that was why his worry sounded so insane. He was afraid of getting his heart broken? A billionaire like him? He could have any woman he wanted!
Except Elena was more than just that. She was way worth more than his accumulated wealth. He could lose all that and not feel a thing. After all, he could always get it back. With his managerial and entrepreneurial skills it was only a matter of time before he made back all the money. But Elena…she was one of a kind. If she left him, it could do more than just break him.
It could kill him.
***
Working at the bar was a bit more stressful now that there seemed to be more customers than they could handle, but it was totally worth it. At least the Sparkling Spout was making loads of cash. It was only a matter of time before they had enough money to renovate or open another branch somewhere else to develop their business. And then there was the fact that she got to see Martha and Giselle and hang out with them all day.
Both women had seemed keen to hear all about the proposal, and Elena was more than willing to give them details. She told them how stunned she had been when she realized their date was on a yacht. When she got to the part where she fainted, both women burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“Trust my friends to laugh at something like this,” Elena murmured, but she was smiling with them.
She went on, narrating the wonderful sex they’d had when she came to later in the cabin. It was hard to tell, but the looks on their faces made Elena suspect that Martha and Giselle were getting turned on by the details.
“Damn, I wish I’d been there to watch that,” Giselle said. When the two other women looked at her with raised eyebrows, her face flushed and she said, rather hastily, “Err, I mean the part where you fainted.”
Elena smirked at her friend and went on to finish her story. By the time she was done, Giselle and Martha were breathing rather heavily, and Martha couldn’t seem to stop fanning her face.
Yep. They were
definitely turned on. Elena’s smirk widened considerably.
It wasn’t long before their conversation moved to the oncoming wedding. Elena had already told Martha and Giselle that they were more than welcome to attend it, even though she wasn’t very big on having many people at the wedding. Her friends, however, were not too concerned about that. They had other things to worry about. Like the fact that Elena hadn’t gone shopping for a wedding dress and Justin hadn’t hired an event planner yet.
“You’re kidding, right?” Martha said, when Elena told them she wasn’t ready for all that yet. “I mean, that’s part of the fun in getting married. Now, before you say anything, I know I’ve never been married before. I only know this because I’ve seen a lot of movies at the cinemas and mi casa. But that doesn’t make my opinion invalid. Trust me, girl. How did you feel when you were getting your prom dress?”
Elena scrunched up her face, trying to remember. After a couple of seconds, she gave a resigned shrug. “Giggly? Hopeful? I don’t know, that was over two decades ago. How am I supposed to remember all that?”
“I bet you felt elated,” Giselle said, ignoring her. “And that was merely prom. Imagine how you’d feel about getting a wedding dress for your wedding. This is one of the biggest events of your life.”
Her words sank in deep, and Elena felt her resolve begin to crumble. Before she could say anything in reply, though, the door of the bar swung open and a woman wearing a leopard-print jumpsuit walked in.
She wasn’t very tall, even though she had on heels. She was quite slim, with moderate curves. The most interesting thing about her, her clothes aside, was her hair. It was white as snow and gave her the impression of a woman with a rare aging condition. Weird as it looked, Elena couldn’t help thinking it was a bit cool. It wasn’t every day you saw someone looking like this.
“Looks like the cat dragged itself,” Martha murmured. She and Giselle shared a high-five.
Elena shot each of them a dirty look and they all remained silent as the woman looked around the bar, a look of reluctant approval on her face. When her eyes settled on Elena, they narrowed slightly, and Elena felt herself tense.