by Katie Dowe
“Stay on them for a few more days and then I will tell you what to do.” Matthew said briefly.
“Okay boss,” the man said with a nod and got up knowing that the meeting was at an end. He hesitated as he reached the door. “One of them is a young enough man with a three year old and a baby on the way. I am just saying.” He said with a shrug.
“A private investigator with a heart.” Matthew said in amusement.
“I have grandkids and as adults we tend to hurt them by the things we do.” He muttered his hand on the door.
“You are right. Thanks Roscoe.”
He nodded and left the office closing the door behind him softly.
Matthew studied the report again and sat there looking across the room. He knew it was hard to keep a company that was as diversified as Logan’s Software under complete control but so far he had managed to do so. He had an open door policy and he told all his employees that he was prepared to talk and sort through any difficult situation they might face. The subsidiary companies were harder to control and he was going to have to do something about that. It meant tightening up the teams of management and making them accountable.
*****
He died that night peacefully in his sleep. After the lovemaking they had talked and he had told her that he had structured his will to make sure that she and Denzel would have more than enough to live on for the rest of their lives.
“I am glad you came into my life Mar,” he had told her gently as he stroked her cheek.
She had climbed off him as soon as she was able and had bent before him and took him inside her mouth never stopping even though he had gone very soft. She had managed to get a small squirt out of him and he had leaned back against the chair satisfied and smiling and then they had eaten lunch together. He had told her that she had made him a very happy man indeed.
“I don’t care what my children say you came into my life and made it better and I am going to do what I can for you and our son.”
She had told him to stop talking as if his time was up. “We are going to be doing a lot more of what we did earlier and I am going to make sure of it.” She had told him leaning forward to kiss him on the lips. He had held her tightly before going to sleep.
She woke up the next morning to check on him like she normally did and found him very cold. With a frown she shook him but he would not move and she felt for a pulse and found none. She leaned on his chest and felt the tears leaking from her eyes. She sobbed against him realizing that he had been telling her goodbye last night and she had not noticed that.
With a trembling sigh she arose briskly and called 911, apprising them of the situation and then taking a deep fortifying breath she called his children. The first thing out of his daughter’s mouth was that she had killed his father. “You miserable gold digger!” she screamed. “You finally did it, you killed my dad.”
Marissa did not respond but simply hung up the phone and went to deal with the ambulance and other emergency vehicles. She sent her son to school to make him get away from all the tenseness and afterwards she curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep.
Chapter 5
“You should have called,” Cara rebuked her gently.
It was starting to get dark and the clouds in the sky looked ominous and leaden indicating that snow was near. She had gone to the center early on Tuesday morning and had heard the news in the late afternoon. She had been very busy with some new supplies they had received and on top of that she had been trying to rack her brain to think of something special to do for Valentine’s Day. Last year Matthew had flown them to Paris where they had spent the day and night in the beautiful city of lights, there was no way she could top that.
Christine had heard it on the midday news about the hotelier John Coulter who had died in his sleep last night and had rushed in to tell Cara. She had called Marissa immediately and after several tries had finally gotten through to her. She had left the center and rushed straight over. Marissa had sent Denzel to stay with Janet who was his biological mother to get away from all the drama that was happening.
Cara had never seen the girl looking so lost and hopeless. Her eyes were puffy and red from the tears she had cried over the last several hours and she looked jumpy and nervous.
“I am still shaken by everything.” She had sent home the helper and the nurse and just wanted to be by herself. “His children are calling and his daughter said some very nasty things to me this morning right after he died. I had called to let her know. I killed him Cara.” She said biting her lips as a fresh onslaught of tears threatened.
“Honey what a thing to say!” Cara admonished her. She had gone into the kitchen to make them some tea but so far Marissa had not touched hers and it was getting cold. She had called her husband and told him the situation and he had told her to take all the time she needed.
Marissa told her what she had done. Cara had to bite her lip to stop from smiling and she suspected that one day they would be able to laugh about it but just not now.
“What you did was made a man very happy and sent him off to his death in extreme pleasure. You should be lauded for that, not here crucifying yourself about killing him. As far as I know our vaginas have never been declared as killing machines before unless it has been and I did not hear about it. You know how I am when it comes to listening to news reports.”
In spite of herself and the fog of despair she was feeling Marissa stared at the girl and burst out laughing. “Thank you,” she said reaching out to grip her friend’s hands. “Somehow you have made a terrible day somewhat bearable.”
“So what now?” Cara asked her quietly.
“The lawyer contacted me and apparently Denzel and I have become extremely wealthy and my husband had the presence of mind to separate us from his children. He left them the hotels and I say they are welcome to it but he left us this apartment, the extremely lucrative farm upstate and ten million dollars in an account that cannot be touched by anyone but me. He has been so generous and I am not sure I even deserve it.”
“You deserve every penny,” Cara told her firmly clasping her hands over hers. “You have taken care of him, put your life on hold, always rushing home when you leave the house just to come back to take care of him and he saw that. You have to stop feeling guilty and get on with your life eventually. My advice is to go on a long cruise when all this is over and leave Denzel with Jeanette and Janet and go and unwind and relax.”
“I did love him Cara,” she whispered, her lips trembling.
“I know honey and anyone who says otherwise just tell them to go screw themselves. You spent the last hours with him and I am sure he died very happy.”
Marissa smiled as she remembered what they had done and how much they had enjoyed it. “You are right. I am not going to let his children spoil it for me. I am going to bury my husband in style and to hell with anyone else!”
“That’s the Marissa I know.” Cara said approvingly. “Now honey we need to get you showered and find something in that vast closet of yours to put on so you can show the world that although you are in mourning, you are still Mrs. Marissa Coulter.” She said standing and pulling her to her feet.
Marissa reached out and brought the girl in for a hug, holding on for a few minutes. “You are the absolute best friend a girl could ever have.” She whispered.
“You are easy to show friendship to.”
*****
“I thought you were going to invite her to come and spend several days here,” Matthew commented as soon as they had retired to their bedroom and were taking a shower together.
She had come straight home from visiting Marissa and spent some time with her kids, had a nice leisurely dinner with Jennifer and her husband and now they were in the bathroom taking a shower together. It had been brought home to her forcibly that Marissa had lost her husband, the man she loved and even though the age difference was there, she knew that Marissa had loved him. She had started thinking about the frailt
y of the human life and had come home determined to be with her husband in a very special way.
“I offered and she said she wanted to spend tonight alone just feeling his presence.” She soaped his chest and watched the hairs on his chest darkened to almost black by the water. “I think I understand what she meant. She wants to grieve in private.”
“You okay baby?” he looked at her shrewdly as she took her time to run the sponge over his body.
“I thought about losing you,” her eyes met his. “I thought about losing you and my breath stopped, literally.” Her lashes shielded her eyes as she continued the ministration. “I would not be able to deal with it.”
He tipped her chin up. “You are not going to lose me,” he told her softly.
“How do you know that?”
He shrugged a little bit, his fingers hard on her chin. “I just know. We have our whole life ahead of us and we are going to watch our children grow and sometimes we are going to regret having them and not remaining childless when they start to give us grief but we are going to sit outside on the rockers and watch the sun go down and we are going to be holding hands.”
“We have no rockers,” she reminded him a small smile.
“We will have two built with cushions because our bones won’t be able to stand the hardness of the wood.” He traced her bottom lip admiring the shape of it.
“One with a swing?”
“One with a swing and the children will be grown and move away and we will enjoy the time we have together. So you see I have it all worked out and I have spoken to the One above to come to agreement with me.” He murmured.
“I see.”
“Now that that’s settled how about giving your husband a deep and arousing kiss and showing him how much you appreciate and love him?”
“No problem,” she said a smile curving her lips as she wrapped her hands around his neck.” “I have no problem whatsoever.”
*****
Marissa went into the large walk in closet and passed her hands over his many suits. Her hand lingered on one that he had worn to a function as recent as two weeks ago. She could still smell the special brand of perfume he always wore and the tears came again as she buried her face into the soft folds of the material. She could hear him behind her saying that she needed to hurry up before they finished serving the desserts. He was always complaining that she was always running late and that she needed to do better than that.
She released the material and wandered around the room. She would have to give away all of his clothes but she was not sure if she could part with some of them. Like his favorite sweater that he reached for when he was feeling a little cold and his dark blue suit that he told her with a smile was his lucky suit. She missed him. Even when he was being his most ornery, she wished he was still around. His son had called her and told her soberly that he wanted to thank her for making his father so happy and she had being so surprised at that.
“He called us a few days ago Marissa and told us off good and proper and that when and if we reach his age and are in his situation then we can start judging him and you.” He told her soberly. “You have to understand my sister Marissa. She was daddy’s little girl and always thought that when our mother died that she would be the one taking care of him.”
She had not bothered to respond to that but had felt a sense of relief. The funeral was going to be sometime next week and she was not looking forward to it. He had requested cremation and she was going to be following his request.
With a broken sigh she sat in the center of the room with one of his shirts against her face and sobbed out her grief.
*****
The funeral was well attended because John Coulter the hotelier had been in business for over forty years and he had amassed quite a number of business associates and genuine friends.
The day was gray and ominous and the dark clouds hung heavy in the sky indicating signs of snow. It was the day before Valentine’s Day and no one was thinking about the celebration of love right then. The children, grandchildren and other relatives were clustered to one side and Marissa and Denzel further apart. Cara, Christine and Jeanette flanked her, giving her their support along with Jennifer and Matthew and the children.
It was a work day and Matthew had just come to show his face and then head back to the office because he had a meeting scheduled. He greeted John’s children cordially because he had known them when his first wife was alive. The will had been read the day before and even though the daughter had tried to protest at the sum of money that was given to Marissa and Denzel; one look from the brother and she had been silenced and listened as the lawyer continued. But they had been left very comfortable and the lawyer had read a handwritten letter that explained his relationship with Marissa.
Cara squeezed her black gloved hand as she stepped forward to place a single red rose on the box just as it was about to be lowered. Marissa was wearing a black Dolce and Gabbana dress that fitted her well and a hat covering her hair with a veil half over her face. She played the grieving widow well and several admiring glances were cast at her.
The ceremony was over before they knew it and they headed to the car to go back to the apartment for the repast.
“I will see you later baby,” Matthew kissed her on the mouth softly. “Stay as long as you need. Jennifer is going to take the children home.”
He turned to Marissa and touched her briefly on the arm. “If you need anything at all please don’t hesitate to call.”
It was a catered event and Marissa sat between Cara and Christine. They were trying to get the girl to eat something but she kept refusing.
“I think you should try these ham and cheese roll ups, it’s quite delicious,” Christine told her taking another bite and reaching for several more from the waiter serving them.
“We used to sit right there and he would read the financial section and I would be reading the comics.” Marissa smiled slightly as she remembered. “I used to think to myself that not only are we far apart in age but in intellect as well. He was superior in every way and I was just the girl he rescued from certain degradation and poverty. I wish I could tell him how much I appreciated and loved him.” The tears were coming again and both Cara and Christine held her hands for comfort.
*****
Valentine’s Day had a toll hanging over it that could not be dispelled. Cara had called to check up on Marissa after trying to persuade her to come and stay at the manor with them but she had said she just wanted to spend the time with Denzel and she would be fine.
The day fell on a Saturday which was perfect for couples who wanted to celebrate the day together.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” his voice was still husky with sleep as he pulled her back into his arms and started nuzzling her neck. “I hope you have no plans for getting out of the bed anytime soon.”
“Apart from the fact that our children will soon be tearing through the doorway and into our beds, then no.” she brushed the hair from his forehead.
“We could always lock the doors.” He said hopefully.
“Janice especially will never stop knocking and demanding to know why she cannot come in.” Cara held his face between her palms. He had an overnight growth of beard and his ash blonde hair was mussed from the pillows which made him looked like a handsome caveman.
She had come home from sitting with Marissa until quite late and when she had reached home he had already come home from the office. She had found him in the playroom still in his work clothes and on the floor with the children on top of him. He had held out a hand for her to join them and she had stepped out of her shoes and dropped down on the floor with them. All three kids had fallen asleep on him and they had had to take them up and put them in their beds.
“There is a French restaurant in town that belongs to a friend of mine and they are having a special dinner to celebrate the day. I was thinking we should go and check it out later tonight.” He murmured.
“Sounds good,�
� she had been thinking of them going up to the cabin to play in the snow and make love by the fire. She mentioned it to him.
“We could do that right after lunch with the kids. Jennifer is taking the kids to the ice rink along with some friends of hers.” He told her.
“Do you think it is fair of us to leave them with her on a day like this?” she asked him hesitantly.
“She told me that it was a good thing she had her niece and nephews or else she would be lost.”
*****
Jennifer did not take the call. He had started calling her again and she was considering that she might have to change her number. He had sent her emails explaining how he had been molested as a child by his uncle and he had gotten married to be cured of the way he felt but it had not worked. When he had met her he had thought that was finally it but he had not been able to help himself and he wanted her to help him.
With a deep sigh she went towards her closet to pick out an outfit for later today. She was going with a group of friends who had children and they were going to go to the skating rink and she was going to forget all about the man she had opened her heart to.
*****
“Okay I am beat baby. You win.” Matthew held up his hands in defeat. They had been outside in the snow for the past two hours engaging in snowball fights and now they were covered by the powdery stuff and shivering from the cold. “If we do not go in now we are going to catch a cold.”
“It sounds to me like you are looking for an easy way out.” Cara said with her hands on her hips and a mischievous smile on her lips. She had donned a heavy snow suit and pulled a black woolen cap over her head complete with gloves and fur lined boots and looked ready for battle.
“I have to be the responsible adult here seeing as you are not.” He told her dryly taking off his hat and shaking the snow from his hair. “We have kids to think about and if we get sick, they get sick.”
“Chicken,” she murmured softly and to his amusement she started to make the clucking sound coming closer and closer to him.