This… it was everything his father had worked for. His legacy. Kane had grown up loving this place, watching it grow from the garage business to what it was today. He had dreamed of leaving the legacy to his children and the generations after them. If signing a marriage contract with some woman he could tolerate for the rest of his life was the price he had to pay… why wouldn’t he?
Suddenly tired, exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions, from trying to keep all those emotions reined in firmly so that they wouldn’t spill out, he walked over to his chair and sat down.
“Keisha, tell Stacy to get the plane ready. We are going back to Colorado. We’ve done enough here. It’s time to go home.”
He needed to be back in his house. He was already tired of the damned hotel. He needed to see his mother and speak to her about things. He needed to just breathe in the fresh spring air of Colorado. There was nothing more to be done in Miami – nothing that the people here couldn’t handle. His presence was no longer required. The investigations were on-going and so was the search for the missing goods.
It was time to go home.
“Uhm… sir, are you sure?” Keisha asked.
“Yes. We planned to spend two weeks. It’s already been five. There is no better time than now.”
She nodded, and he knew that she understood.
“I’ll place that call to Stacy right away.” And with that, she stood up and left the office. Blackwell followed quietly and when Kane was finally left alone, he picked up his cell phone and called his mother.
He already had an idea, he just needed to hear her thoughts.
****
Kane had never been happier to see that white gate in his entire life. He sighed in relief as they rolled opened and his chauffeur drove into the compound. His mother was waiting for him outside on the porch, as he had known she would be, and by the time he reached her side, she had her arms wide open to welcome him.
He gladly stepped into the embrace, and drew in all the strength and comfort from her hug.
“I’m sorry, Ma. I had hoped to return with better news,” he said after a while.
Evelyn Wells, obviously not having it, scolded, not missing a beat.
“Oh, hush! There will be none of that, you hear me? None of that. Now, let me take a good look at you. Keisha told me you were getting yourself sick with worry and that you had lost a few pounds. I see she wasn’t lying.”
Kane smiled at the thought of two of his favorite women in the whole world discussing him behind his back.
“You two have been gossiping again,” he accused, pulling away.
There was no trace of guilt in those twinkling eyes, or the mindless shrug, for that matter. “No more than necessary,” then, she took his face in her hands and took one good look at him. “Ahhh. Look at your cheeks. Not one slab of flesh in sight. Good thing you are back home. I can feed you and get you back in shape in no time. You know that.”
“I was eating well enough in Miami, Ma. Food isn’t the issue.”
“I disagree. There is nothing quite like a mother’s meal… or a wife’s.” Winking, she took him by the hand and started to lead him into the house. Of course, the wife joke didn’t pass over his head and he knew he would be getting more of them in the days to come.
He didn’t mind the slightest bit. He was just happy to be home and yes, he had missed his mother cooking. She always managed to whip up a mean meal whenever she decided to step into the kitchen.
Evelyn made sure to refrain from talking business, until well after dinner. At lunch, she had gone on and on about the household staff, her friends, and how lonely and big the house had felt without him. She had spoken about the weather, Miami’s heat, and the hotel service. Everything but the business. Afterward, she had sent Kane away to have his bath and take a long nap.
Dinner had been comfortably quiet, and it was only just now, as they sat underneath the soft glow from the porch light, that she finally brought it up.
“So, what are you going to do?”
Kane instantly knew what she was talking about.
He shrugged. The thirty-two hours since receiving the ultimatum had given him time to think, to consider his options properly. When he had called his mother yesterday, he had simply told her about the request from Rickon’s. Keisha and himself had been unable to leave immediately, for there had been little things to put in place before leaving. So, they had simply extended their flight to today. Good thing it was a Saturday and he didn’t have to go into work. The afternoon nap had done him a whole lot of good.
“I guess I’m going to have to get married, the way I see it.”
“And about time, if you asked me, hallelujah!”
He chuckled at his mother’s tease and shook his head.
“I’m just thirty-one, Mum. You make it sound like I’m fifty.”
“And we both know you had no plans of marrying anytime soon. Don’t look so morose. It’s marriage, not a prison sentence.”
“There’s a difference?” he asked with mock innocence and had to dive, to dodge the assault of cushion that was launched at him.
When he came up, he was the one with the victorious smirk.
Getting serious, he shifted in his seat and resumed the conversation. “It’s not as though I do not want to get married, mother. I always assumed I would have to, at some point. I just didn’t think it would have to happen so soon and in this way. I don’t even have a girlfriend.”
“Good thing it’s a wife you need, not a girlfriend. How soon do you want to get married?”
He winced, not quite used to the idea.
“I don’t know… we have six months. And I wouldn’t want to take that long. There’s only so much insurance can do, and they can’t do anything until it’s ascertained that we truly do not know anything about the theft. The workers need to be paid, we need more production. We need this merger, ASAP. How long does it take to plan a marriage?”
“Depends on how elaborate you want it to be. Three months should be fine for a small wedding.”
“A small wedding would do just great. Now, the issue is finding a wife. It’s obviously going to be a contract marriage. I just need someone who I know will be willing to walk away when it’s time, without hassle or stress. Someone who I can trust to keep the technicalities of the marriage a secret, and someone who I can actually be comfortable sharing my home with. Someone I can tolerate. I really do not have any friends, Mother. And now, it’s coming to bite me in the butt.”
“That’s because you always bury your head in work, and the little time you have to socialize, you go for Bimbos with long legs, annoying giggles, and empty brains.”
“You forget to add greedy minds. I’m doomed, aren’t I?” He sighed, dropping his head into his palms.
“Not necessarily. You need a friend. But most importantly, you need someone who stands to lose as much as you do. Well, I think the answer would be clear enough.”
He looked up then, but he already knew the suggestion his mother would make. Truth be told, since that announcement in the meeting yesterday, there has been only one person on his mind. She had come to mind the moment the word marriage had been mentioned, and for some strange reason, that had not scared him. In fact, in some funny way, it had comforted him.
If he wanted to be completely sincere, the possibility of doing this with her was the reason why he was considering the option. Nevertheless, he asked, “Who?”
“Who else? Keisha. She’s a very sweet girl. Not to mention, sensible and smart. She’s a hard worker who obviously genuinely cares about the company, and its CEO, if I might add. Her parents are the top judges in Colorado. She doesn’t need all of this, but she’s been putting in her best since the moment she got that job. She knows all that’s at stake… and you can trust her to walk away without hassle when the time comes, if that’s what the both of you still want at the time, that is.”
Perfectly understanding the last part, he ignored it.
“W
hat if she doesn’t agree?” Yes, he could not deny that he was starting to have strong feelings for her, but he did not know if those feelings were reciprocated. Well, if he wanted to go by her reaction to his kisses…
Even just thinking of it now made his blood run hot. It had taken him great power to stop himself that night, and he had had to take a freezing shower to relieve himself of the boner her lips had given him.
The first kiss? Oh, that had been completely spontaneous. Unplanned, out of the blue. He had simply been too happy and thankful. But, he had felt the jolt of electricity from that mere brush, and he had wanted more. Craved more. It had awoken his curiosity, and he had wanted to know if it had simply been a spur of the moment feeling, a result of his excitement, or more.
Oh, that second kiss had been deliberate, planned. He had battled between giving her enough time to change her mind and not wanting her to do so at all. Yet, when he had taken that mouth with his, everything… every damned thing had changed.
He could never see her the same way again, never. And yes, he wanted a repeat of that kiss – and by God, he was a man who could not help but want more than just a kiss.
“What if she does? The way I see it, there is only one way to find out. You have to ask her.”
Of course, that was the reasonable thing to do, but how would he even go about it?
His mother stood up then, walked over to where he was and bent down to kiss him.
“Sometimes, things happen for a bigger reason than we can see. And we only get to realize these reasons when we take the opportunities we are offered. Good night, my love. Do not stay up too late.”
“Goodnight, Mum. I love you.”
“And I love you. If your father was alive, he couldn’t be prouder than I am of you.”
Heart warmed by her words, he placed a lingering kiss on her wrist. It brought back a flash of that moment in his office in Miami, yesterday. After Keisha’s words had fueled him up with hope. And he didn’t even realize he was grinning like an idiot until his mother said, “That’s a lovely smile you’ve got there.” Then, retrieving her hand, she turned to go into the house.
The smile on her face told Kane that the woman definitely knew more than she was letting on.
****
A week later, Kane was still battling with how best to make the request to Keisha. He had never considered himself a coward, but there was no word other than cowardice to describe his stalling. Many times, he had tried to bring it up, only to say something else at the last minute.
They were running out of time, he knew this and every moment counted. Yet, proposing to a woman was turning out to be more difficult than he had envisioned.
The worst part was that he had done this before, and while he had had sweaty palms and a stampeding heart, he had never developed cold feet.
Yet, every time the opportunity presented itself to just ask, he found himself tongue-tied, unable to go through with it. This could not continue, of course. They did not have time for this – him being Drake and all up in his feelings.
Why was so it so hard? Probably because he wasn’t proposing marriage on the basis of love, but business. Keisha had told him her story. She had never actually been wanted or loved in return. It felt a bit selfish, when he considered the fact that her first marriage proposal would in fact be a business proposal.
How would she see him? What kind of man does it make him? And how would it affect this beautiful friendship they now shared, if things went to shit?
A knock came then, and he was almost startled, having been so lost in his thoughts.
He knew from the two sharp knocks that it was Keisha.
“Come in, Keisha.”
The door opened almost immediately and she strolled in with a cup of coffee. The scent of hot muffins that filled the air was all he needed to confirm what was in the paper bag she held in her other hand.
“Since someone refused to go out for lunch, I thought to bring something to you.”
Her smile did all kinds of things to him. Including the fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach right now. How had it taken him this long to realize how beautiful she was?
“Thank you, Keisha. You are a life saver. My tummy was just beginning to protest.” As if on cue, a loud grumble sounded, and they both ended up chuckling.
“Oh well, you know me, Keisha to the rescue. Saving your stomach is part of the job description as your personal assistant,” she ended with a wink.
He smiled. How could he not? His lips were moving on their own accord.
“Anyway, I would leave now, so you could continue whatever it is you are doing, and I could get back to work, but… I’m going to take a step over the boss-employee line and ask… what is eating you up, Kane?”
His eyes widened, as his brow raised. He had certainly not seen that coming.
“What?”
She rolled eyes, knowing he had heard her perfectly well. Nevertheless, she asked again.
“You. What’s eating you up? You always seem lost in thoughts these days. It’s like you are here, but not here. Like your mind is speeding at a thousand kilometers per minute. And it always like you want to say something, but end up saying something else. Like just now, when I was knocking, I only had to look in through the glass door to see that you were lost in thoughts. I had to knock several times, and you didn’t even look up before asking me to come in.”
He panicked. How had she seen through him, so easily? As though he was nothing but a glass door. He swallowed, first to wet his throat, and second, to take control of the situation.
“I didn’t look up because I already know your knock. I would know it if I heard it in my sleep.”
“Fair enough. So,” she said, taking a seat. Apparently, he wasn’t going to get out of this so easily.
“Since there are still about ten minutes for the lunch hour to be over, do you mind telling me what’s bothering your fiinnnee mind? C’mon, talk to me.”
The emphasis of fine got him chuckling again, it relaxed his nerves so much that his guard slipped, and he did not bother getting it back.
“What are you now, a shrink?”
“I took some psychology classes in college. Trust me, I know my stuff.”
Dropping his pen, he relaxed into his chair and took one good at her. There, sitting opposite from him, at home in his office as he was, a big smile on her lips, a bright one in her glittering eyes, and her beautiful hair framing her face… she was a breath of fresh air. If he had to be married to someone, there was no doubt that there was no one else he would rather say those vows to. He knew he could never come to regret that decision.
“I see,” he said playfully, playing along.
“So? You’re gonna tell me or not? If it’s private and you don’t want to share, that I understand. But I have a feeling you’re having girl issues. What? Finally got one who has you hooked? Are you planning a proposal already?”
Damn! She was smart. She was joking, he knew this, but see how neatly she had hit the nail on the head? Yes, she had him hooked. And yes, he had a whole proposal planned out.
As lightly as he could, he responded, “You really are a shrink aren’t you?”
Her smile widened into a grin, revealing that set of baby dentition, as she sat up.
“A-ha! I hit the bull’s eye? Didn’t I?” she relaxed once more, her back touching the backrest. “What do you know? I might just quit my job and start a private practice.”
“I’m not letting you go, Keisha. You would have to practice outside office hours.”
“Oh well, small details we can always be worked around. So, tell me, who’s the girl? And how great is this that it happened at the right time? Finally, we are getting a wedding. Tell me about her, maybe I can help you plan the perfect proposal.”
This was it. This was the moment he had been waiting for and heavens knew that if he let this moment pass him by, he would break the record for World’s biggest coward. Ahhh… maybe he had wished for thing
s to happen differently, but here goes nothing.
Summoning every ounce of courage in him, he blurted.
“The girl is you, Keisha. I’m trying to get you to marry me.”
Chapter 8
Keisha’s first reaction was laughter. Loud, gale. Because, how else could she have interpreted his words, other than “funny”?
“Okay, that was a good one, I’ll give it to you. Well, then, if you do not want to talk, it’s fine. The lunch hour is almost over. But I got to ask though, are you taking the marriage ultimatum?”
“I already did,” he said simply. “I just asked you to marry me.”
Still finding it funny, she chuckled this time, and sat up in her seat. “Yeah right. You obviously aren’t taking it seriously. But, if you aren’t gonna get married, what do we do? I’m sure we’ll figure out a way out of this mess, though.”
He was in front of her before she knew it, taking her hands into his and staring deep into her soul.
“Keisha, I… I wasn’t actually joking. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and trust me, I’ve given it hard thoughts. I don’t think there’s a way out of this, other than the merger. The Miami scandal is starting to affect sales in other parts of the world too.”
She knew this. Sales had been dropping rapidly. Skepticism about the quality of their products was beginning to eat deep and hit hard.
“We really cannot afford to waste any more time,” Kane continued. “We need this merger. We do. And if getting married is the only way to get it, then I must. I have thought it through. The marriage has to be fast. And simple. We would need to stay married for at least, two years, if we do not want the media to suspect anything. And of course, being married to a friend, being married to you, would definitely beat being married to anyone else.”
Keisha still didn’t understand what was happening. Sure, she heard the words he was saying but they weren’t making any sense to her. Marriage? To her? With her? Kane wanted to get married to her? Her boss… Kane Wells?
Have My Baby Page 7