by Aubree Lane
Annie jumped in. “I realize that your actions, or lack of action, was the reason you’ve been so supportive of me over the years.” She took a deep breath. “I always wondered why you would bring a little nobody like me into your home. What I am today, I have you to thank. So in case we no longer have a relationship after today,” she paused and nodded at him sincerely, “thank you.”
Then she banged her elbow on the table and pointed her finger in his face. “But don’t think for a single moment I won’t do everything necessary to make sure Erika grows up happy. And that means the inclusion of both Hannah and Terence.” She glanced at her old high school frenemy, and her words softened with concern. “Hannah needs some time to reconnect with her mother in Montana.” She turned back and faced Larry with nothing but cold hard steel in her voice, “But Terence is here, and here is where he’s going to stay. You are not going to keep him away from her. You will move to Hawaii, and you will make him a part of our family. And when Hannah is ready, she will relocate there as well.”
Marissa stood up and placed a document in front of her father. “This is a contract spelling it all out. It ends the day Erika reaches the age of majority. After that, you are all free to live wherever you wish.”
Larry wasn’t a fool, and neither was his daughter. He was certain Marissa had a decent idea what everyone was referring to. What they didn’t know was that he wanted to help Hannah after barging into Alexander’s office and finding the eight-year-old stripped down to her underwear. Alexander tried to brush it off by saying the girl had a rash, and that he was simply checking it out. Larry threatened to expose Alexander if he didn’t stop what he was doing and seek professional help. Alexander laughed in his face and reminded him that he had evidence of a few dubious undertakings Larry had participated in.
Even though Larry hadn’t done anything illegal, he could see how it would look if they were lumped together and presented in the right context. Larry knew he would eventually be exonerated, but at what cost. He had a family to feed, and being forced to fight some trumped-up charges would have ruined his reputation and would probably have bankrupt him in the process.
One thing about Alexander Turner, the man knew how to cover his butt. He always had a contingency plan waiting in the wings.
Larry had much to atone for where Hannah was concerned, not only for what happened to her as a child, but years later, and the situation that directly affected him and which led to Erika’s conception. He had been fully aware of how messed up Hannah was, but he allowed himself to be seduced. God would never forgive him, and neither would Marissa if she ever found out the full extent of his guilt.
Larry eyed his son-in-law suspiciously. He feared David might have uncovered the exact circumstances which forced him to keep quiet about Alexander. David’s face was unreadable. A moment later when the corners of his mouth turned up into a harsh grin, Larry knew he was in a pickle.
He cast his gaze upon the four most respected women in his life and studied their faces. He looked into his lovely Eleanor’s eyes and was relatively certain their association was beyond repair. He was counting on Annie, for Erika’s sake if not her own, to want to salvage what was left of their bond. She might not realize how much she meant to him at the moment, but as soon as they were back in Hawaii, he was going to do everything in his power to mend the bridge that separated them. He also saw he had come down a notch or two in his daughter’s eyes, but he didn’t believe for a moment that he lost her altogether. Given a little time, he knew their family would heal. Hannah was always a wild card. No one ever knew what to expect of her. Being the mother of his child, he expected to provide for her in a financial way. What else he could do for her, he didn’t know, but he would keep the line of communication open.
He decided to give it one last shot, although it was halfhearted at best.
He ignored Marissa. He knew he could never break her, and he knew better than to mess with a distraught mother protecting her child, so he focused his attention on Annie. The insecurity she felt about her relationship with Terence made her the weakest link. “Why aren’t you obligated to stay and live in Hawaii? Aren’t you planning on marrying Terence after all, or is he not planning on marrying you?”
Unfazed, Annie replied, “What happens between me and Terence is inconsequential and not pertinent to today’s proceedings.”
That was it. He was beat. “I see Marissa has coached you well,” he sneered. He picked the documents off the table and leaned back into his chair to scan them. A few moments later, he retrieved a pen from his breast pocket. He glared up at Hannah. “You understand once I sign these documents, I will expect you to return that envelope.”
The envelope rested in her purse underneath her chair. Without saying a word, she picked it up, placed the envelope on the table, and pushed it in his direction.
A moment later, Eleanor reached behind her neck, unclasped the expensive ruby necklace he had given her for Christmas, and placed it alongside the envelope.
Then Annie dropped a personal check for two hundred thousand dollars on top of the chain. “This is everything I owe you. We are square now.”
Marissa spoke with conviction. “Love is not something you control. It is given freely and without condition. You have used us as a means to an end. That stops today. From here on out, you are to put Erika first and foremost. She loves it on Oahu. She’s happy there. If you don’t agree to all of our stipulations, David and I will not stay and be a part of your life. We’ll leave with your grandchildren and you will never see them again.”
His jaw dropped. Larry squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “Marissa, you can’t mean that. I’m sure we can work this out?”
Eleanor leaned over Marissa’s shoulder. Her face was stone cold. “Like you once said to me, Larry, you can either get on board or get out.”
Larry nodded. He had hoped, slim as it was, that he and Eleanor would be able to start again, but he saw that was no longer possible. The woman he had kept by his side for over three decades had flung his harsh words back in his face. He knew he deserved it. He regretted them the moment they left his lips, but he never imagined Eleanor would be so angry that she would bring all these facets together to derail him so perfectly. That had not been part of the plan.
It was their way or the highway. If he didn’t agree to their terms, he would lose everyone he cared about. The writing was on the wall with Erika, too. If he took Erika away from Terence, she would hate him, and he would have destroyed any chance of ever having a real father/daughter relationship with her.
The lawyer in him was proud of what these women had accomplished. They put aside their differences and pulled together in order to make the horrible old man see the error of his ways.
He had thrown his best punches. Well, maybe not his best, but enough to make them believe his act, and they held strong.
His only regret was Eleanor. He was going to miss that woman.
Larry scribbled his name on the document and stood up. He slipped the pen into his breast pocket and said, “I think I’ll leave you to celebrate in private. I need to go lick some wounds.”
He walked out, leaving Hannah’s envelope, Annie’s check, and Eleanor’s necklace on the table.
• • •
Marissa scrubbed her face. She had mixed feelings about what she did to her father. She knew it was the right thing, but outfoxing the fox had left a bitter taste in her mouth. There was still one last matter to wrap up. Judge Theresa Sanchez was in her office awaiting the outcome of their coup. She smiled at her co-conspirators. “I’ll meet you at the ice cream shop. Don’t order me anything. I’m not sure how long this will take. Theresa will probably want a detailed reporting of our little meeting.” She gathered up the documents and headed for the door. “Then I’m going to celebrate with a banana split smothered in a vat of hot fudge.”
Annie wiped a few tears from her eyes and let out a ginormous sigh of relief. She snatched back her check and ripped it into
a million pieces. “That was going to bounce a million ways till Sunday.”
Eleanor dropped into a chair and began to laugh hysterically. She took off a shoe and used its heel to smash the ruby to bits. “It’s paste. I kept the real one. I thought that since I was about to become unemployed I might need to pawn it for some extra cash.” She reached out and grabbed Hannah’s arm. “Let’s go tell Erika and Terence the good news.”
Hannah got up and walked with her to the door.
David picked the envelope up off the table and held it out. “Hannah, aren’t you forgetting something?”
She took the envelope out of David’s hand and tossed it back on the table. Blank paper spilled out across the battered veneer finish.
Hannah smiled. “He only said I had to return the envelope, not the money.”
The four women marched out, leaving David beaming with admiration. All four of them had banked on Larry being generous to the bitter end.
• • •
After Erika’s fourth serving of ice cream, she finally had enough. She was happier than she had ever been in her entire life and had celebrated by stuffing her face. She was going to stay in Hawaii with both her daddy and Larry, and one day her mother was going to be with them, too. It was everything she ever dreamed of, and she got it all while eating ice cream, and drinking soda. She never even had to talk to the judge.
The group had been there most of the afternoon. They hogged a bunch of little tables, which they pushed together in order to make one large enough to accommodate the entire Javier-Turner-Crandall-Harper family.
“Daddy, I don’t feel so good. Can we go now?”
Terence got up. “Sure sweetie. It’s been a long day.”
Erika grabbed his arm. “Can we go to Larry’s? I want to see him.”
He glanced at Annie who nodded her head in agreement.
“I don’t see why not,” he said to his daughter. “We are all just one big happy family now. Are you coming, Annie?”
She shook her head. “Not just yet, we still have a few details to discuss.”
He leaned down and kissed her neck. Then he whispered in her ear. “Erika can stay in the main house tonight with Larry. We’ll be all alone out in the guest house.” He grazed her warm skin with his nose. “I’m glad you came. I’ve missed you.”
A shiver ran down her spine, and Annie had to shake to release it. “We won’t be long, I promise.”
Marissa lounged with her shoes kicked off and her feet propped up on a neighboring stool. Terence stepped behind her and placed his strong hands upon her shoulders. “I think I owe you that kiss now.”
She tried to squirm away. “No way, I don’t want it anymore,” she giggled.
“Too bad.” He planted a whopping kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for everything, Marissa. And I forgive you for keeping me out of the loop again, but that’s the last time, okay?”
She brushed him away and left his question hanging. “Get Erika home before she pukes all over the place.” Then she snickered joyfully. “Nice touch giving dad the sick kid. I like it.”
Terence rubbed her head playfully and mussed up her hair. Then he followed his lawyer’s instructions and hustled Erika out the door.
When Terence and Erika were safely out of the building, David leaned into the middle of the table. Something about his father-in-law’s demeanor didn’t set right. David had never known him to go down with such a feeble counter attack. “Is it my imagination or did Larry give up awfully easy? I was expecting a much bigger battle.”
Eleanor had been thinking the same thing. “I believe that infuriating man let us win.”
Marissa frowned. “It’s been gnawing at me, too. You don’t think he manipulated us again, do you?”
They glanced at each other as they all came to the same conclusion. The fox hadn’t been outfoxed after all.
Marissa ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head. “This is unbelievable. Why didn’t he do this the easy way and simply talk to us? What was the point of all this monumental drama?”
“He did the same thing to us that you did to Judge Sanchez,” David pointed out to Marissa. “We all wanted Erika to be happy, and we hated seeing Terence getting the shaft, so we dug in and helped the underdog. It was brilliant.” He looked over at Hannah. “More importantly, he maneuvered us to bring you in so you could confront him. It’s one of the first steps of the healing process.” He sat back and shook his head. “I’m impressed, but I think I hate him.”
Annie grabbed his arm and wagged her finger at the rest of the group. “That’s not quite right. Larry only set the ball in motion. All our actions since then have been our own.” She cocked her head sarcastically to the side. “I think I hate him, too.”
“I’ve always hated him,” Hannah added looking directly at Eleanor. “I hated him enough to destroy your relationship with him eleven years ago.” She gazed sympathetically at the older woman whose eyes were brimmed with tears. “I apologize for how I treated you back then. You weren’t the intended victim, but I hurt you and I need to face up to that.” She glanced over at David. “The second step of the healing process.” Then she pressed a gentle hand on Eleanor’s arm. “You don’t really hate him, do you?”
Eleanor closed her eyes and shook her head. “I suppose if I reach deep down, I can justify his actions. And if I reach even farther, I can see how selflessly he pegged himself as the enemy, and how he was willing to sacrifice our relationship so the rest of you could come together.” She stopped and pressed her lips together to stop from crying. Then unable to control her emotions any longer, she sobbed, “Unless this was his way of getting rid of me.”
Marissa wrapped a loving arm around her shoulders. “You’ll have to talk to him to find out if that’s true, but I’m banking on your first guess. He loves you Eleanor. He always has. I think he felt he had a lot to make up for, and maybe risking the loss of you was his penance.”
Eleanor pulled a cheap napkin out of one of the many dispensers that dotted their makeshift table and blotted her face. White napkin fibers stuck to her wet skin. She wiped them away and stood to leave. “Talk to him,” she said in exaggerated disgust. “You must be crazy. There isn’t any way I’m going to stay in this town and talk to that man. I have a plane to catch.” She held her hand out to Annie. “As a matter of fact, he’ll be lucky if I ever speak to him again.” She snapped her fingers in Annie’s face. “Hawaii house keys please.”
Annie smiled and dug into her purse. Eleanor wasn’t going home tonight. She was going to make Larry suffer. If she was smart, which Eleanor was, she probably didn’t plan on having any contact with him until the day he arrived on the island. Annie dropped the extra set of keys to Larry’s new residence into Eleanor’s hand. “See you in paradise.”
Eleanor gave Marissa a wink, and turned to the woman’s husband. “David, could you give me a lift?”
David jumped up. “You got it, just let me pay the bill before we leave.” He came back to Marissa a few moments later. David pulled his sleeve down over his hand and scrubbed her cheek.
“Ice cream?” Marissa asked.
“No, that disgusting kiss Terence planted on you.” He leaned down and gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek. “See you later, babe.”
Marissa stroked her husband’s cheek in return. “You know it.”
When David and Eleanor left, Marissa looked at Annie. “Are we good?”
Annie smiled and nodded. “We’re good.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “You two are pathetic. I’m out of here.” She got up and marched out of the ice cream parlor.
Annie and Marissa were immediately on her heels and locked arms with her.
“Not so fast,” Marissa said.
“We’re not through with you yet,” Annie chimed in. “There’s one more thing we need to do.”
Hannah huffed. “Like what?”
Marissa peeked around Hannah’s body and shot Annie a sly smile.
“Karaoke!�
�� they both sang out together.
Hannah rolled her eyes and let her old friends guide her down the street. “Dear lord, you two really are pathetic.”
Chapter 29
Annie sat next to her husband in his twin-engine roller coaster getting bounced off every single wave in the Pacific Ocean. The sick feeling in the pit of her stomach was made worse every time she woke up, thought of food, and just about everything else she did during the course of the day.
She was six weeks late.
She stared out at the horizon and tried to keep the contents of her stomach where it belonged. But it didn’t work. Before she had a chance to hang her head over the side, she threw up all over the floorboards.
Terence looked over at the disgusting glob. “That’s just lovely. Feel free to puke in my boat,” he teased. “Now that we’re married, I get to see the real Annie.”
Annie looked down at the mess in front of her. “Well, you can’t get any more real than that, and it did come out of me, so I guess you are right.”
Terence chuckled, but his voice grew warm with concern. “What’s with you lately? You’ve been sick a lot. Maybe you should consider seeing a doctor.”
Heartburn rose up in her throat. Annie rubbed her belly. “I think my bikini days are numbered.”
“Uh huh,” he replied absently before turning his eyes forward once again.
Annie did a mental countdown. Five, four, three―
His head jerked back and he looked at her.
She smiled. It hadn’t taken him as long as she thought. She chuckled softly at the shocked look on his face and rubbed her belly one more time.
Then her cool fantasy man let out a whoop that could be heard all the way back to San Diego.
Annie was happy and she looked forward to making a family of her own. Separate from the Wrights and Crandalls, and yet in a remarkably real way, they were all still very much together.
Eleanor and Larry were working out their differences, which meant Larry was happily giving in to all of Eleanor’s requests. First and foremost on that list was that he continued to see Frank and work on his relationship with Terence.