Tudor Redemption (Tudor Dynasty Book 4)

by Jamie Salisbury

  Before anyone could respond, Zara came walking into the room. She lay her purse on the floor before giving Amadeus one of her looks. “Did you offer Dame and Beth coffee?”

  “I was getting around to it,” he replied sheepishly.

  “I’m good,” Beth interjected, smiling at Zara. “Dame stopped and got us a huge coffee and scones.”

  “Dame?”

  “I’m fine, Zara. I don’t need much more caffeine today.”

  “I’m going to get a fresh cup. Sort of hard to drink a full cup with two little ones.” She turned to Amadeus and with her sweetest smile asked him to get her one. He obliged, but I could tell he wasn’t liking it.

  I tried not to snicker too much.

  “I thought we’d do the shoot in the living room. I’ve got everything set up. Oh, would you mind if we played your new stuff while I work? I think it would add to the ambience of what I want to capture.”

  “No, that’s fine. I wanted Beth to hear it anyway.”

  “Excellent. Did you bring what we discussed?”

  “Yeah, but I found some pants I think will work far better for this.”

  “Good, we’ll get started in a while.” Zara turned to Beth. “Are you enjoying some down time with Ethan out on the road?”

  “Yes. I got everything caught up. I’ll check on things in a few days, but this is my time. I made sure everything was set up beforehand for interviews and the like. That way, unless I hear differently, things should fall into place.”

  “I know. I did it with Amadeus. It can be time consuming.”

  “Yes, it can.”

  “What can be time consuming?” Amadeus asked as he strode back into the room, hot coffee in hand.

  “You,” I replied with a straight face. “Zara was just telling Beth how you are as time consuming at home as you were when she managed you on the road.”

  Everyone laughed over that one. It seemed to put Beth at ease.

  “Don’t believe everything he tells you about me, Beth. I’m really quite harmless.”

  “That’s good to know, Amadeus.”

  “Dame, why don’t you get changed? Beth and I’ll go in to the living room, and harmless Amadeus will go fetch the music,” Zara put in.

  “Sounds good. The sooner I’m finished doing this, the happier I’ll be. I’ve always hated this part.”

  “Why?” Beth giggled.

  “I’m no model. I have never gotten the concept of how to move in front of a camera. Now, Amadeus? He’s a different story.”

  “What can I say? I’m a natural. The camera loves me,” my kid brother said on his way toward the slider.

  “Don’t mind him, Beth. He’s always had an ego the size of Texas. It took a strong woman like Zara to yank a knot in his tail.”

  “Ethan comes by it honestly then,” she replied, giggling.

  “Yes, I suppose he does. Lord help us when those two meet.”

  “Don’t leave Angus out,” Zara quipped. “He marches to his own drummer, and watch out when he’s around.”

  “So, I’ve heard,” Beth replied.

  “While you ladies destroy the male ego, I’m going to change before I’m slung into the mix.”

  Zara laughed as she and Beth headed to the living room.

  I went and locked myself in the guest bathroom, quickly changing out of my jeans and t-shirt. I donned a sleeveless black tee and a pair of skintight, black leather pants. I bent down and changed into boots. There. I looked into the mirror as I shook my hair loose from the band I had keeping it confined. Damn, not half bad for an old dude. Yeah right. Old is a frame of mind.

  I rejoined the group in the living room. Zara had turned on the lighting and was fussing with her camera. She and Beth were quietly talking. Amadeus was setting up a CD player. Everyone looked up as they heard my boots on the hardwood floor.

  “Oh my god! Damien, you’re perfect!” Zara squealed. “That’s exactly the look you need for this cover.”

  “Dude, it fits right in with these songs.” Amadeus grinned. “He needs a guitar, Zara. Let me go get one out of the studio.” My kid brother walked past me, slapping me on the shoulder as he did.

  Beth was just sitting there with a huge smile on her face.

  “What?” I asked her.

  “Zara’s right. You’re perfect. This look is so you.”

  “I don’t know about all that. I just thought of the songs and thought I needed something that conveyed the mood.”

  “While we’re waiting on Amadeus and the guitar, come over here. Let me get you positioned in front of this drop.”

  I walked over to the dark drape and stood in front of it. This is where I felt out of place. Especially with her wanting more action out of me. No simple posing for a picture for this one.

  “Let me get some test shots of just you.”

  “Fine.”

  Zara grabbed her camera and began snapping away. Not sure what she was after, I tried to give her what I thought she wanted. I thought I heard Beth giggle. Yeah, a model I was never meant to be.

  Amadeus came back, guitar in hand. I grabbed it from him, but not before Zara was fussing with it and me. My brother went and stood at the CD player waiting for Zara’s cue.

  “Okay, Dame. Now, let’s see you rock it.”

  Amadeus started the CD, and I immediately lost myself in my music. I vaguely heard the three of them cheering me on with their whistles and cat calls. This was it. My first, and perhaps only, chance at a solo effort, and I was going to put one hundred and ten percent into all of it. Even posing for the damn cover.

  I don’t know how long we were at it, but Zara finally put her hand up. “Let me look at what we’ve got so far. There were a couple I really thought were great,” she said.

  I smiled over at Beth, as I lay the guitar down. “Well? What do you think?” I asked her.

  “About what? This kick-ass music you’re about to put out? Or your attempt at modeling?”

  “Both.”

  “Dame, come here. I think I found the one.” Zara beckoned to the laptop she had set up on a table.

  I moved behind Zara and stared at the image looking back at me. Yeah, she was right. It was perfect. “That’s it,” I said, catching the excitement in my voice.

  “It is, isn’t it?” She beamed.

  I watched her as she made some keystrokes. By now, Beth and Amadeus had joined us.

  “Perfect, Dame.” Beth said, grinning.

  “Look at you, bro. Mister bad-ass rock star! It’s perfect.”

  “I’ll keep all of these. We might want a few different variations for other venues. But this is it. I started working on the graphics for the front. Once I have them the way I want, I’ll send you a copy for your approval.”

  “Okay. What about the insides and back?”

  “Amadeus has put everything together about each track. Peter’s people will finish the inside.”

  “Good. What do you need from me?”

  “The usual. Anything you might want to say to fans. Dedication.”

  “Okay. I’ve got that already written. I’ll send it to you when I get home. You can fix anything that doesn’t read right.”

  “Great. We’re done here. Let me close everything up, and while I am, Amadeus can show Beth around.”

  We moved into the family room. Amadeus tossed me the CD he’d been playing. “This is the final mix. What I’ll send Peter’s people unless you think something needs changing.”

  “It sounded really good, what I heard.”

  “It does, Dame. I can’t wait to hear the rest of it,” Beth said quietly.

  That right there made my heart soar. I smiled at her, not saying a thing. No need to.

  “Dame, Zara has the code to get into the house if you’re interested. At least, she thought you might be. She’s also got specs on it.”

  “I don’t know, man. I’ve got enough on my plate without adding buying a house to it. Besides, I’d have to put the condo up for sale.”

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nbsp; “Or keep it, so you have a place to stay when you’re in town. It’s not like you can’t afford it now, and things are only going to get better.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to look, Damien,” Beth said.

  “Amadeus is right, Dame. You need to at least consider it. You won’t find anything like it for the price,” Zara said as she entered the room.

  “Perhaps, but the entire inside has to be done.”

  “Amadeus and I looked at it yesterday. It has to have the sheetrock done. Paint, trim. Bathrooms and kitchen have to be finished of course. It’s still going to be a steal even with all that.”

  “What about the heat and stuff?”

  “Already in.”

  “I have the girls to consider too. I doubt either one of them would want to move back out here now.”

  “They’re grown women. If they don’t want to move, perhaps they could stay in the condo. Or move into their own apartment.” Zara was glaring at me with her ‘don’t make excuses’ expression.

  “Okay, okay. It won’t hurt to look. Let me go change, and we’ll at least go check it out.”

  Amadeus drove the four of us down a little-used lane to the house. There was a stone entrance and wall along the front perimeter. Something I hadn’t noticed the last time. Zara gave my brother the code to open the black, iron gate.

  “Looks a little different from this side,” I muttered. It certainly didn’t give the impression of being something massive.

  Everyone walked around in silence. I was pleasantly surprised when Beth took my hand as I led her to the enormous great room on the main level. I felt her squeeze it as she saw the massive wall of floor to ceiling windows.

  “Oh my!” she whispered. “This is breathtaking.”

  “Look at this fireplace, Dame.” It was made of river rock and ran along a side wall.

  “The house is pretty eco-friendly and energy efficient. There are three bedrooms on this level, with two and a half baths. Two more bedrooms on the lower level, along with a bath. The master is on the main level. All the wiring has been done for internet, satellite, and security,” Zara said.

  “What’s the asking price, as is?”

  She rattled off a figure I, for sure, thought was a typo. So, I asked her to repeat it and give me the square footage and size of the lot.

  “It’s tempting, I can’t deny that. I wonder what the water depth is at low tide. There’d be no sense even considering if I couldn’t dock my boat here.”

  “Your sailboat would be fine. There’s specs here on the dock as well.”

  “What are you thinking, Dame?” Beth asked.

  “I’m thinking while it’s very tempting, I’m not sure I can throw more changes on the girls.”

  “Why don’t you let them decide? They’re both mature young women who want the best for you.”

  “I know, but I don’t want them to feel like I’m pushing them out.”

  “Perhaps they haven’t made any changes in their lives because they don’t want to upset your sense of stability,” Beth replied.

  “She’s right, Dame. You have been the stable force in their lives since Julia left. At the same time, they may be afraid leaving you alone might upset all that,” Zara added. “You’ve got a lot going on right now, and more that’s fixing to happen. It’s time to let them spread their wings. They know they’ll always have a place to come home to no matter where you land.”

  “Okay, I get it. I need to cut the apron strings. Let me think on this and talk with them, because this is a huge change.”

  “Don’t wait too long. I don’t think this place will be on the market long. Frankly, Amadeus and I would rather have you for a neighbor than some stranger.”

  “Like I said, I have to weigh all angles.”

  “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m hungry,” Amadeus said.

  “Come, let’s go back to the house. I have stuff for lunch already prepared. Then, it’ll be time to pick up the kids.”

  “And it’ll be time for us to head back,” Beth interjected.

  I said nothing, didn’t even look at her when she dropped that bomb. Obviously, she’d misunderstood when I asked her to spend the day with me.

  After lunch, I loaded up the SUV. I promised Zara I would not only have the CD liner notes to her that evening, I told her I’d have an answer about the house one way or another.

  Amadeus grabbed Beth in a hug before she got into the vehicle. “It was great to finally meet the woman who’s stolen my brother’s heart. I’m really glad the two of you found each other again.”

  “Thanks. I really enjoyed coming out and finally meeting you as well.”

  “Perhaps we can plan for one last family jam before the weather gets cold, and that one gets too busy with his career. Right, Dame?”

  “Sounds good.”

  As we headed toward the ferry terminal, Beth tried to engage me in small talk. I think she’d seen the shift in my mood, but I wasn’t having any of it.

  We had to wait on the next ferry, so I grabbed the CD my brother had given me and turned it on. I sat back and tried to listen to what I was hearing, blocking out the outside world. This was beginning to get frustrating, and I knew I had to get myself in check before I said something I might regret.

  Suddenly, the music stopped. I opened my eyes and glared at her.

  “Dame what’s wrong? Don’t you dare tell me nothing.”

  I sat up and turned to face her. “Where should I begin? First, I thought this was a day we were going to spend together. Next thing I know, you need to get home. I can’t figure you out, Beth. I thought we had all that behind us. But today, you’re right back to being hot and cold about us and anything else. I thought you wanted to explore what’s going on between us, but I guess you’ve changed your mind…again. I know what I want, but I can’t take your inability to make a decision. It’s driving me crazy.”

  “We have spent the day together. I’m not going to ruin it just because you want to act like a caveman. I have a life, things I’ve carved out for me. Please respect that.”

  “I do.”

  “Why don’t we plan something for this weekend?”

  “Oh, you want to pencil ‘us’ in your planner?”

  “Damien,” she groaned.

  “I bet if I told you I wanted to buy that house and have you help me turn it into a home for us, you’d turn me down. Wouldn’t you? Because Beth has her own house and her own life.”

  “I never agreed to live with you.”

  “I don’t recall asking. You know what? Let’s drop this. When you decide what you want from me, us, let me know. I sure can’t figure you out, and I’m getting tired of trying.”

  I turned back and stared at the incoming ferry approaching. I didn’t know how to get through to her. How to make her understand what I wanted and needed from her. I was at a complete loss. Perhaps I needed to back off and allow her to figure it all out. What was it with women? The only thing they seemed to want out of me was to crush my heart. That wasn’t happening. Not again.

  By the time we arrived in Seattle and I pulled up at the Bainbridge ferry dock, I was still barely speaking.

  “I really did enjoy today, Dame. Even if you don’t like the way it’s ending. I’ll call you tomorrow, and we’ll plan something for the weekend. Okay?”

  “Sure. Whatever pleases you, Beth. Right now, I need to get home and finish some stuff. I’m not going to sit around any longer. I’ve been doing that for too many years. I’ve got things to plan and do. Either you’re with me or you’re not.”

  “Don’t ruin this for us, Damien. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “It’s you who needs to think about not ruining it for us. You’re the one who can’t make up her mind.”

  I leaned over, shut the door, and watched her as she looked at me for a second before turning and walking toward the terminal.

  When I arrived home, I thankfully found myself alone. I threw everything on the bed, grabbed the CD,
and headed to my desk. Opening my laptop, I found what Zara needed, reread it and sent it on.

  I then made the decision. I was buying that house. With or without Beth. I knew I had to jump on it. The girls would insist I pursue it if that’s what I wanted. And it was.

  I typed out a text to Zara and told her I wanted the house. I mentioned I didn’t have an agent, so I was going to need some hand holding into how the process worked.

  A few minutes later, she fired one back. She sent word to her realtor friend, telling her I wanted the details on the property and was interested in making a bid.

  So, I waited.

  Courtney walked in, bubbly as usual. Britt followed suit, making me wonder if this was a staged take over.

  “How’d your photo shoot with Aunt Zara go today?” Britt inquired.

  “Great. Would you like to see what we chose for the cover?”

  “Yes!” they both chimed in together.

  I pulled up Zara’s email and opened the attachment. They both stood there, mouths hanging open.

  “Well, what do you think? Pretty cool, huh?”

  “Pretty bad ass, Daddy,” Court replied, grinning.

  “Britt? What do you think?”

  “I think it’s the best picture I’ve seen of you. For your career of course. I love it.”

  “Thanks. Zara’s going to get it fixed up with the graphics, send it to me for approval, and then it’ll go to Peter’s people to put the entire package together.”

  “Why are you using Peter’s people? I thought that’s why you started your own company?” Britt asked.

  “Because he offered his services until I get everything in place. That takes time. Next one will probably be done in-house.”

  “Um, where’s Beth?” Courtney asked, looking around the house.

  “She went with me, but she said she had some things to do. So, I dropped her off at the terminal.”

  “Oh. Well, we’re going to a free concert at the university. Want to come?”

  “No, but thanks. I’ve got stuff here I need to get done.” I decided to feel them out about the move. “Did you know someone was building a house near Zara and Amadeus’s place?”

  They glanced at each other.

  “It’s not finished, just sitting there. We went over and looked at it today. I’m thinking of making an offer.”