“Our landlady?”
Her cheeks filled with color and she self-consciously swept the funky white painter’s hat off her head. “Um, yeah, I’m in the process of moving my tea production into a third of the building. I decided if I was going to make a business out of this, I needed the right space.”
Scar was purring so loudly the hum seemed to vibrate through the wall of Paul’s chest and come out the other side. He almost missed what she said. Something about the future.
He bent over to set the cat down. “Sorry. I couldn’t hear over the Mack truck engine. What was that?”
She took his hand and tugged on it for him to follow. “Let me show you.”
Once inside the newly renovated space, he stopped dead in his tracks. “Wow. All this in a couple of weeks? How’d you managed that?”
She shrugged. “Mom calls it therapy. She says I’m the kind of person who has to work hard while trying to come to terms with tough breaks. Like after my dad died, I went to India to volunteer at the ashram.”
The ashram. He’d talked to her friend there and had some interesting news, but that could wait. First, they needed to discuss what the future held for the two of them.
“This will be where we make the teas. See the great ventilation system and energy-efficient skylights? And out here will be our distribution center. Teas and cactus can use the same space, if we coordinate properly.”
He turned to look toward the opposite end of the building. Rows of pots were neatly lined up. All the plants looked healthy, cared for. The love he felt for this woman flooded every cell in his body. She’d done this on faith and belief in him. Belief that he’d come back.
“I love you, Liz.”
Her arms dropped to her sides and she turned to face him. “I love you, too. That was never in question, but your past…everything you left behind…is that settled?”
“Where can we sit? It’s a long story.”
She appeared to think a moment, then she smiled and motioned for him to follow. She gently pushed Scar back into the tearoom and closed the door so he couldn’t amble after them. “I left the potting shed pretty much the way it was. Our contractor fixed the roof and put in a little insulation so it’s not quite such a sweatbox, but the rest…”
He saw what she meant. The cot he’d borrowed from Mimi was still in place, although now so neatly made it could have passed a marine sergeant’s inspection.
Liz sat down and kicked off her paint-splattered mules. Paul took the other end, but kept his feet on the floor. What he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and make love with her, now, this instant, but that had to wait until they were clear about who he was.
“I’ve taken back my real name.”
“I noticed. Calling you Paul might take practice.”
He nodded. “I’m still getting used to answering to it, but that was the name my parents chose for me. It was my great-grandfather’s name. But I don’t want to forget about my life as David. In a way, becoming David helped me find—or at least, redefine—myself.”
She leaned forward, her attention fully on him and his story. He felt his nervousness ease. This was Liz. If anyone would understand, she would. “When I first got to Virginia, I was really confused. Lost. I had no idea where to begin, but after I contacted my ex-wife and her husband, the pieces started to fall together.”
“You saw her? And the kids?”
He nodded. “She has a new son and she’s pregnant. Her husband is over the moon. They seem like a normal, busy, functional family.”
“How’d you feel after you saw them?”
“Relieved.”
“Why?”
“Because I felt as if—at least in this instance—I’d done the right thing. Yes, my fake death was painful for them, but they were safe and now they’ve moved on. That was all good. Plus, Kay, my ex, insisted that she never really believed I was dead, which is why she kept such good track of my money.”
Liz looked curious, but she didn’t say anything, Paul filled her in on the extent of his unexpected windfall.
“You’re rich?” she asked in obvious surprise.
“Not bad. A helluva lot better off than I was.”
She made a funny face—sort of bemused and maybe a little worried. “Does that mean you don’t plan on doing landscapes anymore?”
“Correct. No more digging in the dirt for neighborhood associations or demanding clients.”
“Oh. Then you won’t be needing the space in the greenhouse.” She definitely sounded disappointed.
He shook his head. “Wrong. I came back for two reasons. The first, obviously, is you. The second has to do with those silly spiny plants that you’ve taken such good care of in my absence. As a scientist, I set out to improve the world through chemistry. Well, I didn’t do such a hot job of that. For the past four years, I saw a side of the world you just don’t get when you’re trapped in a lab. I saw life, the beauty of adaptation and the sad state of our natural environment. We’re losing desert species every day. As a scientist, and hopefully one day a father, I can’t let that happen.”
Liz couldn’t stifle the little gasp that came when he said the word father. She’d followed his story with breathless attention, knowing deep down that he was here to stay.
She put out her hand and let it rest on his chest. Cat hair adorned the fine fabric of his suit. Outwardly, he looked very different. Dashing. Sophisticated. “You’re sure about digging in the dirt and rescuing cactus? You look like a college professor.”
He grinned. “An astute observation. I had a quick face-to-face with a couple of VIPs from the university on my way here. One was leaving for Europe this afternoon, so this was my only chance to discuss my funding of a dedicated chair in desert environmental studies and reclamation.”
“Wow, you have been busy.”
“I wanted all my hedgehog cacti in a row, so to speak,” he said with a wink, “when I asked you to marry me.”
Liz’s heart did a little pirouette. “Really? Just like that. We nearly die, you leave, you come back, you ask me to marry you?”
His newly bare cheeks flooded with a ruddy color she absolutely adored on sight. “Did I miss something?”
“Uh, ye-ah,” she said, using an intonation her niece employed all too often. “Where’s the romance? The flowers? The ring?”
He jumped to his feet. “Wait right there.”
She didn’t, of course. She wasn’t going to start an engagement by taking orders. Terrible precedent. She tiptoed after him and saw him dash to the new car and dig through some bags in the backseat. Her heart started thudding double time, when she saw him pocket what looked like a ring box.
Holy moly, he’s serious about this, she thought, hurrying back to the cot. She was glad she’d spruced up this little room, but it still lacked a certain romantic ambience.
The thought disappeared when David…ah, Paul, returned, his arms filled with two dozen peach-colored roses, a beautifully wrapped dress box under his arm and a heart-shaped box from Ethel M chocolates in the other hand. “I wanted to make sure I covered all bases,” he said hurrying to where she was sitting. “God, I hope the chocolates didn’t melt. I forgot this was Vegas.”
She pressed the candy to her chest and blinked back tears. No boy had ever given her chocolates. The gesture was sappy and sweet and it nearly broke her heart. “Thank you. I love chocolate—even slightly melted.”
Next came the dress package. Big. The designer imprint subtly hidden in the bow and wrapping paper. “Dav—I mean Paul, you shouldn’t have.”
“I bought it online, but from a local store so you can exchange it if it doesn’t fit. If it does fit, I thought you might wear it tonight. I have reservations at this great little restaurant I’ve never tried. It’s called Romantique.”
Her heart broke a little more, but in a way that felt good.
He presented the flowers with a flourish, not giving her time to open the box. That was for later, she realized. After he�
��d done what he came here to do.
The fresh, heady smell from the flowers brought tears to her eyes. She buried her face in them, trying to keep from crying.
“Liz,” he said, lowering to one knee in front of her, “I know this is asking a lot. In some ways, we’re practically strangers, but in the ways that count, we’re connected more deeply than even science could explain. I honestly believe you’re the reason I moved to Vegas, although I knew nothing about you at the time. You shaped my life even before I met you. I realize I’m not the half of your prophecy you wanted, but—”
“No,” Liz cried, unable to stop herself. “That’s not true. Prisha saved me when I was lost in the shadows. She gave me a reason to let go of my demons and start living again, so I would return home….”
“To save me.” He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. “Are you sure you’re not terribly disappointed that you’ve wound up with me and not Prisha?”
She slowly shook her head from side to side as she thought about his question. “I miss her, but I can’t be sad about what’s happening in her life. The surgery was a success, and she’s reunited with her family. Her real mother.”
“You’re an amazing woman, Elizabeth Parlier. I have a feeling our life together is going to be overflowing with kids—ones we have and ones we find. You are going to marry me, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “Of course. And not to be crude, but is that a ring in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?”
He rocked back on his heels, laughing. “It’s a ring. And I’ve never been gladder to see anyone in my life.” The innuendo came through loud and clear, and Liz felt her body respond. The woman in her had come alive under his nurturing touch, and she couldn’t wait to feel those juices flowing again.
He moved to the cot beside her and set her gifts on the floor at their feet. From his pocket, he pulled a small blue-velvet ring box. “I took some flack from my ex about buying this without any input from you, but I told her you were far too modest to pick out a ring worthy of your beauty.”
Liz felt her cheeks heat up. “I honestly never felt beautiful until you came along. When you have three gorgeous sisters, it’s less work to stay in the background.”
He touched her hair, her cheek, her lips. “Not anymore. Not unless that’s your choice. Because, as far as I’m concerned, you’re the star of the show.”
He opened the box.
Liz gasped. “Oh, my.”
The pear-shaped diamond was the largest she’d ever seen up close. The setting was an inventive mix of yellow and white gold. Her fingers shook as she took it out of its satin niche. “This is for me? Really?”
He took the ring from her and slid it onto her third finger. “One of a kind. Just for you. Now kiss me before I turn into a pumpkin.”
She laughed. “You really have your fairy tales mixed up, but that’s okay. We have time to work on that before we have kids.”
She threw her arms around his neck with such force, they fell sideways onto the cot. The narrow metal legs groaned, but Liz ignored the warning. She thought she heard Paul mumble something like “Not really,” but she ignored that, too. She was in love. The man she loved had just proposed and given her the biggest diamond she’d ever seen. This was one part of her prophecy nobody could have foreseen, right?
Right.
She reared back and looked down at the besotted expression on Paul’s face. “How did you know where to find me?”
He shook his head slightly. “I called your house, but when nobody answered, I called your mother.”
“No wonder she volunteered to pick up Lydia and Reezira from school tonight.”
He gave her a curious look then asked, “Can we kiss again? I’ve been thinking about this way too often and in all the wrong places.”
She wiggled her hips and grinned. “I can tell. You’re ready to party, but…um, are we prepared for the consequences? I think not.”
He let out a low growl, not unlike the sound his cat made when he was hungry and said, “Speak for yourself. My suitcase is in the car. It’s well stocked for any emergency, but all kidding aside, the only thing that would make me happier than saying ‘I do’ to you, is finding out we’re going to have a baby.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “I love you, Liz. I want our life together to be filled with kids. In fact, I talked to a lady that your friend at the ashram put me in touch with and she knows a woman who is definitely planning to place her baby up for adoption. My ex-wife’s husband still has connections in the State Department and he said he’d be happy to pull a few strings, any time you say the word.”
She closed her eyes and let her kiss be her answer. She’d be ready soon, but first she needed to mourn Prisha a little longer. And celebrate her engagement. And get her new business on track. But soon. Soon she and this wonderful man would travel abroad to meet their new baby, a child of light and hope. And they’d bring their baby home to a diverse, complex community that bloomed on the desert much like the cactus—resilient, occasionally brilliant and elemental to the world at large.
Chapter 20
Liz had spelled out their wedding plans when she and Paul announced their engagement. Simple. Outdoors. Immediate family only.
Liz knew her mother understood her reasoning behind the small, low budget affair, even if her sisters thought she would one day regret it.
“Dad, set up our trust funds for weddings fit for a princess. What does four Bedouin tents in the desert say?” Grace had asked. Her wedding was just a few weeks away and Liz didn’t want to know how much it was costing.
“It says old school Gypsy to me. Plus, I’m marrying a professor who studies desert plants. With the money we’re saving, we can fund a scholarship program for desert studies.”
Kate pointed an imaginary gun at Grace and pulled the trigger. “She’s got you there. And, I’d like to add that the rock on Liz’s finger more than makes up for a giant gala.”
Liz held her hand out and wiggled her fingers so the sunlight danced in sparkling shafts. “It is pretty, isn’t it?”
“Pretty amazing for a guy who wore coveralls nearly the whole time we knew him.”
Liz looked over her shoulder as Alexa joined them, a shoebox under one arm and plastic dress bag over the opposite shoulder. “Wedding dress delivery service,” she said, offering the bag to Liz. “And I didn’t look. Honest.”
“Talk about taking secretive to new extremes,” Grace muttered. “Who doesn’t want a little input from her sisters when it comes to the dress?”
Liz felt her cheeks heat up. “We’ve all been so busy. I saw this one online and ordered it. Mom’s friend made a few alterations. No secret. I just didn’t want to bother anyone.”
Her sisters exchanged a look Liz knew well. She loved them, but she’d been a loner most of her life. She didn’t know why, exactly. But maybe buying a wedding dress online wasn’t the smartest move. “It’s too late to change now.” She made a follow me motion. “What if it’s too plain?”
Alexa caught her free hand. “Stop. Chill, as Grace likes to say. We’re just teasing you, Liz. The dress will be perfect because it’s your pick. Nobody else’s opinion matters.”
The fluttering sensation in her chest quieted. “Thank you.”
Grace put an arm around Liz’s shoulder. “Except Paul’s. But he’s a guy who is madly in love. Some day you’ll ask him if he liked your wedding dress, and he’ll say, ‘What dress?’”
Kate stepped closer, too. “She’s right. Remember how many dresses I tried on before we settled on the perfect one? When Rob and I woke up the next morning and Rob saw my dress hanging on the door of the closet, he said, ‘Nice dress, by the way. You looked beautiful in it and even more beautiful out of it.’”
She reached for the shoe box. “Which tent is the bride’s? Let’s get this gypsy wedding started.”
Betting On Love #4: Alexa’s story
"Itsy-bitsy spider crawled up the water spout."
"Out came the sun ...hum, hum..
"Did you forget the words, Auntie Alexa?" her niece, Maya, hissed softly at Alexa's elbow.
Alexa smiled at the concern she heard in Maya's voice. "No, sweetheart," Alexa whispered, "I was just listening to see who needed help."
Satisfied with the answer, the child smiled back.
"And the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout again." Alexa led the applause. "Who's ready for outside time?"
"I am, I am." Alexa's sister Liz, who'd volunteered to help that morning, jumped to her feet. Liz, who was just fourteen months younger than Alexa—and extremely busy with her new herbal-tea company, and her recent engagement—hadn't hesitated when Alexa had called in a panic. Shorthanded again.
Earlier in the year, their sister Grace had tangled with old family friend Charles Harmon, a powerful and deceitful lawyer and casino owner, who had promised revenge on the entire Parlier clan. In Alexa's case, he'd tried to stir up trouble by spreading untrue rumors about some of the people working for her at her Dancing Hippo Day Care and Preschool.
No charges were ever filed because Alexa always did a thorough background check before she ever hired anyone to work at the Hippo. Although it had taken time and a great deal of talking, Alexa had personally called each parent on her enrollment roster and explained what was happening. To her profound relief, the parents of her students had stood by her, one and all. Unfortunately, two of her part-time aides hadn't appreciated being the targets of slander and had quit. Alexa was still trying to replace them.
She didn't blame anyone for not wanting to deal with Charles's spite, but she really couldn't afford to be short staffed over the holidays. Stress was not only bad for the kids, it was bad for her health. And she couldn't afford to get sick. Not now.
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