Claim

by Janet Nissenson

  Glen patted her arm reassuringly. “Because you were an infant or toddler most of the times you stayed with me, dear. And you weren’t even four years old the last time I saw you. It’s hardly surprising that you didn’t remember any of those visits. But I did remember you, and thought of you often over the years. And I’m so pleased to see what a beautiful young woman you’ve grown into. Beautiful, happy, and engaged to a man who obviously adores you. Would you be related to the Gregson hotel family, Ian?”

  “I am the Gregson hotel family, Glen,” answered Ian. “So you can be assured that Tessa will never want for anything. I vow to take very, very good care of her.”

  Glen looked over Tessa’s designer dress, shoes, and bag, her jewelry, the way her hair, makeup, and nails were all perfectly done. “I would say that you’ve already done just that, Ian,” he observed. “Though the fact that she’s glowing with happiness is the most important thing you could have possibly given her. And I assume you haven’t, er, exhibited any symptoms - I mean, the research I did on bipolar disorder all those years ago mentioned something about it being hereditary.”

  “I’m fine,” Tessa assured him. “I’ve been tested, been evaluated by a renowned psychiatrist in the field.”

  “Good, good.” Glen looked relieved. He glanced at the antique clock that hung on one wall, and seemed startled. “Is it that time already? I didn’t realize we’d been visiting quite that long. I’m afraid we’ll need to continue our chat another time, as I do need to leave in a few minutes to meet my wife and our friends. Let’s exchange contact information, shall we, and then I’ll get those photos I promised you.”

  Telephone numbers, addresses, and emails were exchanged, and then Glen rummaged through a file drawer until he extracted a manila envelope which he handed to Tessa.

  “You can have all of these,” he assured her. “I have copies of a few of them. When I married Cammie, I came close to tossing all of these away. Even though nothing had ever happened between Gillian and I, it seemed a bit disloyal to be hanging onto photos of another woman. But when I told Cammie about that whole period in my life, she insisted that I keep these. And now I know why. It was in case you ever found your way here, Tessa, so that I could give you at least this much.”

  Tessa drew a plastic protective sheet from the envelope that at first glance appeared to contain at least a dozen photos. With trembling fingers, she took out the first one, which showed Gillian holding a blonde, curly-haired baby girl who looked to be about five or six months old.

  “Oh, God.”

  Tessa was too choked up with emotion at seeing this picture of herself and her mother, and Ian had to rescue the photo before it slipped through her fingers. With his help, she looked through the remaining photos - some of just Gillian, a few of Tessa by herself, and the rest of the two of them together.

  “This one’s my favorite,” Glen told her, pointing to a shot of Gillian holding Tessa in her arms. Tessa figured she must have been around three years old at the time, and it looked from the background that she and her mother had been at some sort of carnival or street fair. She and Gillian both had flowers in their identical blonde curls, and were smiling with happiness.

  “I took that of the two of you at a street festival in the East Village,” recalled Glen. “It was about a week before you left town for the last time. If I had known that would happen, that I’d never see you again, Tessa, I would have done something, anything, to make sure you stayed with me.”

  Impulsively, she gave him a fierce hug. “Thank you,” she murmured tearfully. “For everything. For looking out for me and my mom. For giving me her book and these photos. I’m just sorry that you wasted so many years of your life loving a woman who really wasn’t capable of loving anyone.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Tessa,” replied Glen gently. “Because she did love you. More than she thought she was capable of loving someone. And once you read the book, you’ll see that for yourself.”

  Ian squinted blearily at the bedside clock, frowning when he saw the hour - nearly three in the morning - and realized Tessa wasn’t sleeping soundly beside him in the bed. Raking a hand through his sleep-mussed hair, he got out of bed and stumbled out of the suite’s bedroom in the darkness, following the light he noticed had been left on in the living room.

  And then he smiled in mingled amusement and tenderness as he spied his missing fiancée curled up on the living room sofa. She was fast asleep, her mother’s fourth and final book on the floor at her feet. Earlier, after a particularly randy bout of sex, Tessa had taken the book to read in the living room, not wanting to disturb his sleep by leaving a lamp on. She’d promised him that she was only going to read for an hour, “just a few chapters, that’s all”. But it appeared that she had read a great deal more than just a few chapters, and had exhausted herself in the process.

  Ian picked up the book carefully, but couldn’t resist flipping to the last few pages. After all, he argued with himself, it wasn’t like he didn’t already know how this particular story ended, so nothing would be spoiled by him peeking at the ending.

  What he hadn’t counted on was being moved nearly to tears as he read the final paragraph of Gillian’s last book, quite possibly the last coherent words she’d ever written.

  “And when I look at her, when I hold my precious baby girl in my arms, kiss her rosy little cheeks, smell that sweet baby scent, I feel hope for the first time in my life. Real hope, real happiness. We’re a family, her and I, and I know I have to do better for her. I have to get strong and stay that way, to fight this horrible monster inside me that wants to take over and pull me down into its dark jaws. But I won’t let it. I can’t. I have to take care of my baby, have to be strong for her, and never give in to the darkness again. Because of her - because of my precious, beloved Tessa. She’s going to be my salvation, I just know it, the one person who’s going to keep me going and give me a reason to live. She’s going to be my world, and my life, and the most precious, wonderful gift anyone could ever hope to be given.”

  Ian set the book down with care, with reverence, whispering as he did so, “I know exactly how you feel, Gillian. Because your daughter is all of that and more to me. Thank you for having her, for bringing her into this world. I promise that I’ll take care of her in all the ways you weren’t able to. And I will cherish her every bit as much as I now know you did.”

  He picked Tessa up easily, despite the fact that she was fast asleep and dead weight in his arms, and carried her to bed. She didn’t wake or make a sound, but as he slid into the bed beside her, she instinctively snuggled up against him.

  “Sleep tight, my love,” he whispered against her hair, and within seconds he, too, had fallen back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  June – San Francisco

  Tessa stared at Ian dumbfounded, unable to quite believe what he had just told her.

  “She’s finally wised up and decided to leave him?” she asked in disbelief. “What prompted that? Not, of course,” she added hastily, “that Charlotte shouldn’t have dumped his pathetic, creepy ass years ago.”

  Ian chuckled. “My sentiments exactly, love. And I don’t have all the juicy details, as Colin would no doubt refer to them. All I know is that Jason has been asked to move out of my uncle’s house, been relieved of his duties at the company, and that Charlotte has filed for divorce and will be seeking full custody of the children. I’m sure we’ll find out the rest in due time. Unless Colin gets to her first, that is, and wheedles all the specifics out of her. My brother is also a notorious gossip as well as an infamous flirt.”

  “Wow.” Tessa shook her head. “I guess I shouldn’t have worried so much about having that creep attend our wedding then. You can tell Simon to cancel the extra security detail, I suppose.”

  “You can tell him yourself,” teased Ian. “After all, you’re his very favorite person these days. No surprise as to why that is.”

  Tessa smiled. “He’
s always been good to me, ever since the night of our first date.”

  Ian slid a hand to the nape of her neck, giving it the sort of little massage that always made her purr with pleasure. “Ah, but ever since you asked him to give you away, his protectiveness has soared to new heights. Not to mention the fact that you made him a very happy man. In all the years he’s worked for me, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile the way he’s been doing for weeks now.”

  She had taken Ian by surprise several weeks ago when she’d asked his opinion about who should give her away at the wedding - in lieu, of course, of the father she’d never known.

  “I thought about asking your father,” she’d mused. “Your mother actually brought up the idea, and assured me he’d be honored. Julia also mentioned the possibility of Nathan giving me away, since he isn’t one of the wedding party. And while both of those are wonderful ideas, I was actually thinking about asking, well, Simon.”

  Ian had been startled but definitely not disapproving of the idea. “I think that Simon would be beyond thrilled at such an honor,” he’d assured her. “We’ll ask him tomorrow morning when he picks me up for work.”

  But what Tessa hadn’t expected was the way the tall, austere, and rather standoffish chauffeur nearly teared up when she had posed the question to him.

  Simon had cleared his throat, and then given her the warmest, most genuine smile she had ever seen cross his normally reserved features. “Miss Tessa, I - I’m at a loss for words right now,” he’d stammered. “And since I’m typically a man of a few words anyway, well - I don’t know what to say except that I would be honored to give you away to Mr. Gregson. In fact, I can’t think of anything that would give me greater pleasure.”

  Impulsively, Tessa had pressed a little kiss on the older man’s cheek, resisting the urge to grin when he blushed in reaction. “Thank you, Simon,” she’d told him earnestly. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have with me on my wedding day. And since I never knew my own father, I’d like to have it be someone who’s looked out for me and kept me safe the way you always do.”

  Simon had given her shoulder a squeeze. “And I was never blessed with children of my own, but if I’d ever been so lucky to have a daughter I would have wanted her to be exactly like you, Miss Tessa - sweet and kind and loving. It has been my pleasure, and my privilege, to look after you this past year. And I’ll continue to do so until I’m too old and feeble for the job. You’ve made me very, very happy, Miss Tessa. Thank you for such a wonderful honor, my dear.”

  She supposed to a degree that Ian was right. Ever since she’d had that conversation with Simon some weeks ago, he’d been even more attentive than usual, going out of his way to help her out, offering to run errands for her, rushing to open doors and carry her bags.

  Tessa had surmised some time ago that Simon was far more than just Ian’s chauffeur, and that he also served as his unofficial bodyguard. Ian hadn’t denied the fact when she’d asked him point blank a few months ago, merely nodding in response to her question.

  “You’re usually so quiet that I tend to forget how observant you can be at times,” he’d admitted with a chuckle. “I was actually wondering how long it would take you to come to that conclusion about Simon. Not that I really need a bodyguard per se. I’m not a politician or celebrity, and my face isn’t exactly recognizable among the general population. But I am from a very wealthy family, as you know, and it’s always a wise idea to take precautions. And Simon, of course, is extremely discreet. He worked in covert operations for most of his military career, so he’s very skilled at becoming more or less invisible at times.”

  Tessa had hesitated to ask the next question. “Does he, um, carry a gun?”

  “No. At least not on his person. He does keep one locked away in the town car, strictly as a precaution. And fortunately the need has never arisen where he actually needed to use it. But now that we’re discussing the subject, love, you can be reassured that Simon is also acting as your bodyguard. He’s very devoted to you, after all, and would risk his own life to keep you safe. And when the time comes, he’ll do the same for our children. As will I, of course.”

  “I’m glad that the thought of giving me away next week has made him so happy,” commented Tessa. “I never really thought before about what kind of a man my real father was. It just seemed pointless to even think about it, given that there was no way to figure out who he was. But I would have loved to have someone like Simon for my father, so asking him was definitely the right decision. And I will tell him about Jason when I see him tomorrow morning. Thank God we won’t have to worry about that slimebag saying or doing something to spoil our wedding.”

  Ian shook his head. “He wouldn’t have been allowed the opportunity, darling. The plan was for the men Simon hired to follow that bastard Jason around during his entire stay, and especially during the wedding. One hint that he was going to approach either you or me and he would have been prevented from doing so. But you’re quite right. It will be a relief not to have to deal with him at all this week.”

  They were now only nine days away from their wedding, and Tessa was thanking her lucky stars that all of the plans they’d made seemed to be falling into place perfectly. She was in daily contact now with the wedding planner, who continued to assure her that every tiny detail had been arranged, half-joking that Mr. Gregson wouldn’t have it any other way.

  That statement hadn’t been very far from the truth, however, acknowledged Tessa with a secret smile. Ian had been as controlling, demanding, and precise with the plans for their elaborate, elegant wedding as he was with every other aspect of his life. He’d encouraged Tessa to make whatever arrangements she’d liked, insisting that money was no object, and that he wanted this to be the wedding of her dreams. But he also hadn’t hesitated to offer up his opinion whenever she’d asked for it - on everything from the flowers to the music to the menu for both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding itself.

  “After all,” he’d told her, “I’m only planning on getting married once, so I want this to be the most special, perfect day of my life. Correction. Our lives.”

  Tessa shuddered to imagine his reaction if everything didn’t go according to all of their many, many plans, both big and small. And given what a detail-oriented perfectionist her husband-to-be was, there was no question that he would notice if the tiniest thing went amiss. The wedding planner, thought Tessa wryly, would certainly be earning her keep with this event.

  But at least with so many of the small details already taken care of, she could relax a little and actually enjoy all of the festivities and events that would be happening over the next week or so. Edward and Joanna would be flying in tomorrow afternoon, and staying here at the house with her and Ian. Both of Ian’s brothers and their families would be arriving two days later, though they had elected to stay at the Gregson hotel on Nob Hill rather than intrude on Tessa and Ian. As Victoria had said when graciously declining Tessa’s invitation to stay at the house, “Trust me, Tessa. The very last thing you need the week before your wedding is four wild boys - make that five if we’re counting Lucien - running to and fro. Selina and I are both bringing our nannies along for the trip, and we’ve even talked about hiring a third temporarily to help out. Selina in particular can use the help with the new baby.”

  Selina had given birth - to yet another Gregson grandson - in February, and this would be the first time anyone in the family except for Edward and Joanna had met the new arrival. Selina, too, had gently refused Tessa’s invitation to stay with her and Ian, insisting that they would be much better off at the hotel, given the baby’s erratic sleeping habits.

  “You’ll need your beauty rest before the big day,” her future sister-in-law had insisted. “And since Julien isn’t sleeping through the night as yet, having a crying baby in the house probably isn’t the best idea right now. But Colin and I appreciate your invitation, Tessa. And I can’t tell you how much we’re looking forward to the wedding. I
’m probably not the first person in this family to confess that most of us never thought we’d ever see Ian this happy. We’ll look forward to seeing you soon, cheriè.“

  Right on the heels of his brothers’ arrival would be those of his uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and business associates, most from England, but a few from other parts of the world. The guest list also included Ian’s wide circle of friends right here in San Francisco, people he had met through the various arts and charitable organizations he patronized and supported, as well as the corporations of which he was a board member. Others who had been invited were a good many of Ian’s executive staff, including Andrew, Kevin, Gina, Shelby, and Marisol.

  Mrs. Carrington and her husband were making the trip up from Tucson to attend. “As though I’d miss your wedding to young Ian, my girl” the cantankerous older woman had sniffed when Tessa had called her recently. But Francine had seemed oddly touched by the call, and especially when Tessa had requested her presence on the morning of the wedding to help her get ready.

  Tessa had also issued an invitation to Peter, knowing that the chances of him actually attending were slim at best. And while he’d thanked her for the invite, and wished her and Ian every happiness, he’d admitted that it would be both awkward and emotional for him to attend her wedding to another man and had declined.

  On something of an impulse, she had asked Glen Rockwell if he and his wife would like to attend. She had exchanged several emails with the kindly editor since they’d met back in April, and he had shared more stories and memories about Gillian with her. But he, too, had had to decline the invitation, as he and his wife had already made plans to vacation in Spain at the same time. He had promised, though, to make it out to San Francisco within the next year so they could have a long visit. And he had sent Tessa one of her very favorite wedding presents thus far - some additional photos of Gillian that he’d dug up from an old file.