by Faye Sonja
Clara opened her mouth to say more, but Eve stepped in that time. “Putting aside Eddie for a moment, we need to talk about me.”
Clara asked. “If you let me, I’m sure I could come up with a plan to get you out of this mess.” Clara’s face was still neutral, but there was something devious in her eyes when she said those words.
Eve smiled. She really did love her friends, however… “No, Clara. Save the plots for your novels.” Eve shook her head. “Do you remember Robert Manning?”
Florence brightened. “Yeah, he was the candidate that I liked the most.” Her eyes looked off into nothingness. Eve turned away; afraid to get stuck in Florence’s fantasy world.
Clara rolled her eyes. “Yes, I remember. He was Mr. First-Class-Everything.” Her eyes roamed away. “I didn’t care too much for him.”
Florence put her hands on her hips. “You didn’t care for any of them.” She then turned her lavender eyes to Eve. “You really should have given one of them a chance, especially Robert. He was the only candidate to ask for your description.”
Eve wiped her moist hands down her navy skirt. “That’s just it, Florence. I don’t want a husband. I just need someone to be the face of Haines Press and nothing more.”
Florence sighed. “But imagine the life you could have if you’d just given him an honest chance. Who knows? Maybe if you’d at least have met him, you would have felt differently.”
“I did meet him.”
Clara had been using a foot to push herself back and forth in her chair. She stopped at Eve’s words. “When?”
“Earlier today in my office.”
Florence’s hands grabbed Eve’s tightly; painfully. She didn’t speak until Eve was looking into her eyes. Florence’s eyes were wide. “You mean that walking dream that came into the office today?”
Eve tried to peel her hands from Florence’s grip. “Trust me, he was a nightmare.” Eve turned when she felt Clara settle on the other side of her.
Clara raised her dark brow. “Details,” she demanded.
Eve shook her head and then told them both the whole story. Everything. In the end, Florence was bouncing in her chair, a large grin on her face. Clara had the opposite reaction. “How dare he!”
Florence gasped. She leaned around Eve to look at Clara. “But it’s fate! Can’t you see it?”
Clara gave a short laugh that had no humor. “All I see is a man out for himself. The nerve of men. They think they own the world.” Clara had been abused by the one man who’d promised to protect her; her father. Since then, her mistrust for him had only deepened. In Clara’s eyes, the only good man who’d ever walked the Earth was Christ himself.
Eve frowned. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Tell him to get out of town. We’ll figure something else out.”
“Not everyone would be happy to die alone like you, Clara.” This from Florence.
Eve and Clara both turned to meet the innocent look in the younger woman’s eyes. Clara narrowed her eyes. “Just what are you implying, Florence?”
Florence rested her hands in her lap. She shrugged in the most ladylike fashion; a quick up and down of her dainty shoulders. “You are telling Eve to deny her own feelings just like you’ve denied your feelings for Joe.”
Clara rolled her eyes. Joe Dawson was Clara’s best friend and her only male friend. “I do not have feelings for Joe and Eve does not have feelings for Robert. Isn’t that right, Eve?”
Eve bit down on her bottom lip to stop it from wobbling. Her heart hammered in her chest. “Of course not!”
Clara’s hands shot up. “See?”
Florence smiled. “Look again, Claire Bear.”
Clara turned her head back to Eve and narrowed her eyes. Ten seconds passed before Clara’s eyes widened, followed by a look of disgust. “Eve, how could you?”
Eve buried her face in her hands. “I know!” She didn’t exactly have feelings for Robert, as she was just simply attracted to him. It was the reason why she wanted him to leave town. It was one thing if Eve hadn’t found the man appealing. With a man who, as Robert had described, had been picked off the barrel, Eve knew she would be safe. But, Robert… Robert was dangerous. If Eve’s attraction one day grew to more, she could easily find herself in the same situation she’d been in with the twin’s father. After a while, Robert would be disappointed in her and look for someone else; thus, breaking Eve’s heart in the process.
“You have to tell him no, Eve.”
“No,” Florence said. “You have to tell him yes.”
Clara whispered close to Eve’s ear. “You tell him yes and you’ll be signing your life over to another man. He’ll take over the company and run your life at the same time.”
Florence did the same on the other side. “Tell him no and you’ll lose everything. Bargain with him, Eve. Come to an agreement for the sake of your family.”
Eve was saved from making a decision just as two pairs of feet and loud screams came her way. Eve looked up just in time to grab her boys, Lewis and Clark and embrace them tightly in her arms. She held them close and kissed their faces.
“Mama,” Clark said. His eyes were the same hazel color as hers; intense under his veil of long brown lashes. Eve thanked the Lord every day that the boys looked like her. Clark settled in her arms. “I made Lewis walk the poop deck.”
Lewis settled in too. “But I was saved by Poseidon.”
Eve’s eyes widened. “Oh, were you now?” Both of her sons were well read. Education was very important to the Haines.
Lewis nodded his head, making his long crazy dark brown curls bounce on her shoulders. He turned and smiled a cheeky smile at her; a baby tooth missing in the front. Eve gave them both another kiss on the cheek that made them scream, jump from her arms, and run out of the room. They were seven now. Hugs, Eve could have, but they’d both let her know that they’d grown too old for kisses. That had hurt Eve’s heart a lot. Since when was seven too old for kisses? You never outgrew wanting a kiss from your mommy.
Eve turned and found Florence smiling at her, as if she’d read her thoughts. Eve rose; avoiding her eyes. “Florence, are you staying for dinner?”
Florence stood; tucking a hair behind her ear. “I’ve already overstayed my welcome. Eddie must surely be looking for me.”
Clara stood as well. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. Clara would be staying for dinner. Clara lived in the house. Clara finally turned to Eve and said. “Whatever you decide, I’ll stand by you.”
Florence nodded her head.
* * *
3
Chapter THREE
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“ Whether I am or have ever been married
is no longer any of your concern.”
The young prince and Princess Evelyn were crossing the desert when they found a dragon. The prince said, “Allow me to slay this dragon for you.” But Princess Evelyn shook her head and said, “I’ll slay my own dragon.” And she did.
Robert paced back and forth in front of his hotel door. His bags were by the door. His hands rested on his hips as he tried to replay the conversation he’d had with Ms. Eve Haines, three days ago. Was he missing something? He was sure she had to marry, yet she hadn’t come looking for him. Maybe she’d found someone else. Panic rose in him.
“I thought you said it was a done deal?”
Robert turned to look at his brother. Outside of Benjamin’s currently cool demeanor, it was almost like looking into a mirror. Ben sat in the chair by the desk close to the back of the room. His face was expressionless. Robert looked away. “I was almost sure she’d see reason.”
Ben sighed. “Putting ‘she’ and ‘reason’ into the same sentence was your first mistake.”
Robert looked at his pocket watch before letting out a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes and pointed his face towards the ceiling. “Our train l
eaves in one hour.”
Ben stood, grabbed his suitcase from the floor, walked across the room, and opened the door. “We’d better get going. I’m sure the paper in New York will take you back once we return.”
Robert looked at his brother. “But what about you?” Ben had quit a very good job at an advertising company to come out west with Robert in the hopes that the brothers would finally be able to work together. It had been their dream, but now, that dream seemed to be slipping away.
Ben looked grim. “Don’t worry about me, brother. With my track record, I should be able to find a job anywhere.”
But it wouldn’t be as high of a position as he’d had previously. The brothers looked into each other’s eyes and knew they were both thinking the same thing. Ben had worked hard to become a project leader at one of New York’s biggest firms, but he’d given it all up for Robert. Ben loved New York, and he also loved city life, but he’d agreed to come all the way out here, to the middle of nowhere just because Robert had asked him to. They’d do anything for one another. They always had.
Robert gave a nod. He sighed. No more wasting time. They’d return to New York and start again.
The ten minutes marker blow for the train’s departure made Eve thankful for the freedom of the modern skirt. Upon making it to the depot, she spotted him. Robert. He wasn’t hard to spot. He was taller than some, but much more pale than most. A bout of nerves slammed into her stomach, but she pushed it down as she made her way over to him.
She came to stand in front of him and waited for him to look at her. He did, but then glanced away as if he didn’t know her. Robert was blankly looking at his watch when Eve finally spoke to him. “Well?”
Robert looked at her; curiosity in his midnight eyes. “Can I help you?”
Eve gave a cynical smile. That had been her line when they first met. She supposed she deserved it. “You win.”
Robert looked around the depot before looking down at Eve again. He lowered his voice as he leaned in. “What do I win?”
Eve narrowed her eyes. That was a good question. Eve hadn’t worked out all the details just yet. All she knew was that she had hours to marry. Mr. Lowe had sent a messenger over to her office two hours ago, informing her that the board needed proof of marriage by end of day or they would be taking control of the company. Eve was officially out of options and at Robert’s mercy. She looked away. “No children.”
Robert narrowed his eyes. “No children?”
Eve nodded. “And I will remain in charge of the company.”
Robert stared at Eve blankly for a few seconds and then he smiled; his whole body seemed to come to life. His eyes grew darker. His face seemed to clear. “Ms. Haines?” he asked.
Eve lifted a brow. “Yes?”
Robert smiled; brightly. “There will be children.”
Eve’s eyes widen. “No, please—”
Robert was already shaking his head. “There will be children or there is nothing left for us to discuss.”
Eve wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t want any more children.”
Robert nodded. “Then I hope you have a very happy life, Ms. Haines.”
The train’s final call blew. Robert started to move with the crowd; making his way towards the opened door. Eve’s last hope at keeping the company was about to vanish before her very eyes. She grabbed his arm. Robert stopped and turned towards her. “Yes, Ms. Haines?”
Eve swallowed. “One.”
“Five.”
Eve gasped. “You’re insane!”
He smiled. “Bargain me down, Ms. Haines.”
“No.”
“You have children, Ms. Haines. How would your life be without them?”
Eve’s eyes moved around the depot, not looking at anyone in particular. The crowd was thinning. “One.”
He shook his head. “That’s a stalemate, Ms. Haines. When bargaining, you must move up.”
Eve’s hands began to shake. “Two,” she whispered.
“Four,” Robert said more firmly.
Eve shook her head. “This is my body, Mr. Manning. You will not be baring these children.” Neither will you be left to raise them when you leave, she thought. She brought up her chin and held his eyes. “I can’t.”
Robert was silent. Then he nodded. “Two, and I have full control of your shares of the company.”
Eve gasped. “But it was my father’s company and I want my sons to inherit it.”
Robert’s eyes drifted up. His head moved side to side as if he was thinking. He then brought his eyes back to Eve. “I run the company until the boys become of age and have received the proper education. Once they are of age, all the children will have the same opportunity to work within the company.”
The conductor called. “Final call for boarding to New York!”
Eve’s hold on Robert tightened. “The company will retain the name Haines Press.”
Robert looked flabbergasted. “Of course! Haines Press is a well-known name across the country. Changing it would be bad for the market. It makes more business sense to preserve the company’s essence.”
Eve nodded a few times and then pulled on his arm. “Alright. Alright. Now, let’s get married.”
Robert pulled back with a laugh. “I’m not marrying you.”
Eve’s eyes widen. “What?”
Robert looked up at the train. “Robert!” he shouted over the noise.
A man moved his head outside of a window from the train. Red hair, blue eyes, and a strong jaw. He looked like Robert. “Benjamin! I was wondering where you were.” The man looked over at Eve. “Oh, hello Ms. Haines.”
Eve looked back at the man whose arm she held and dropped it as if her hand would catch fire. She took a step back. “What is this?”
The man smiled. “I’m Benjamin Manning, I’m Robert’s twin brother.” He then turned to his brother. “Robert, get off the train. You’re getting married.”
“Truly?”
Ben nodded. “Children included.”
Robert smiled at his brother, and then to Eve. “How many?”
Eve looked around the depot. People were starting to look. The brothers already drew attention from their looks, but now they were really putting on a show. “Two.”
Robert frowned and looked at Ben. “What do I pay you for? Was that really the best you could do?”
Ben shrugged. “She’s a hard woman to bargain with, Robert. I’m sure you’ll have fine sons.”
“Or daughters,” Eve couldn’t help but chime in. She wrapped her arms around herself.
Robert nodded a few times, smiling at Eve; his dark eyes dazzling with life. “Indeed.” His head disappeared. A moment later, he was walking off the train. A few strides more and he was standing with them. The train blew and then began to move. Less than a minute passed and then it was gone and the men were here to stay.
Eve looked between the two men. “Twins?” She so did not need another set of twins in her life. Both men were dressed in a pair of the best suits Eve had ever seen. Ben wore a navy blue that matched his eyes. A white shirt lay against his skin. Robert wore a beige suit with a light blue shirt. The blue seemed to add a little color to Robert’s skin. They both wore their red hair short and pushed back; shiny and soft-looking in the light. The men knew how to dress, and thankfully, dressed differently. Eve didn’t ever want to mix them up again.
“What are you thinking?” Robert asked.
Eve was honest. “That I’ve got all the twins I can handle at the moment.”
Robert smiled. “Your sons are twins?”
Eve nodded.
“You told me that you had sons, but you didn’t say they were twins. Identical?”
Another nod. “They’re seven.”
Robert and Ben smiled at one another. It was a smile that spoke volumes towards their friendship and the fact that they probably caused a lot of trouble in their past. Eve sighed. “Are we going to have problems?”
Ben smiled down at Eve.
“We’ll try and keep it to a minimum.”
Eve struggled to not roll her eyes and won. She ended up giving both of the men a hard stare. She turned to Robert. “Ben and I negotiated that the company would retain the Haines name.”
Robert’s brows lifted. “Changing the name had never occurred to me.” He fixed Eve with his own stare. “I would never dream of dishonoring your father in that way.”
Eve held his eyes and stuck her hand out. “Well then, I’ll hold you at her word, Mr. Manning. Let’s shake on it.”
Robert looked down at her hand then back up to her face. He smiled. “I’d rather we seal it with a kiss.”
Eve’s face fell with her hand. She turned and headed out of the depot. The sounds of twin laughter floated over the noise of the depot behind her. Twins. God tells the best jokes.
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4
Chapter FOUR
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“ Whether I am or have ever been married
is no longer any of your concern.”
That night, while Princess Evelyn slept, a flock of scorpions snuck into their camp. The young prince said, “I will slay these scorpions and protect the princess.” And he did.
Two hours and one lawyer later, sealing it with a kiss was exactly what Robert and Eve were about to do.
Robert looked over at Eve and smiled. The local pastor, Jedidiah West, who’d been upset about the haste in their decision to marry before he could council, had decided to give the couple a lengthy sermon on the seriousness of oaths taken before God. Robert had an inkling that the pastor’s anger wasn’t simply towards the fact that they were marrying quickly, but because Eve had been married before. Right now, the pastor was telling the story of Jephthah. Jephthah, the warrior, had promised God that if Israel won a war, he’d sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house. The first thing to come out had been the man’s only daughter. Jephthah ended up having to give his virgin daughter, and only child, over to the church; thus ending his bloodline. A vow to God had to be kept. Robert agreed wholeheartedly. It was the way his parents had done it. Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Manning would be celebrating their thirty-second year of marriage in a few months. Robert wanted the same for himself; a real marriage.