Resolution (A Golden Beach Novel)

by Kim Loraine

  The little boy frowned at Michael. “I am, too. Besides, I don’t want to marry Elinor anymore anyway.”

  “Oh, really? I didn’t even know you were planning on getting married.”

  “Brianna is my new best friend. Uncle Michael says that’s who you should marry.”

  A flash of Lauren hit Alex at the mention of marriage. Finding himself getting choked up, he cleared his throat. “That’s right.”

  As dinner came to a close, Lena murmured something in Michael’s ear and he nodded. She stood and walked out of the dining room. Alex stole a glance at his phone, hoping he might find a text from Lauren. She never spoke harshly, and he’d held on to the idea that she’d realize what she’d said and would at least reach out to clear the air. His heart sank as he found a blank screen.

  Lena returned with a large box in her hands. “Alex, I know we don’t usually exchange gifts on birthdays, but I was talking to my mom about you.” He winced inwardly. He didn’t want everyone in this fucking town knowing all of his business. “Anyway, she gave me this and told me to give it to you when I thought you’d appreciate it.”

  Lifting the lid he stared down at what looked like a ceramic bowl. “Your mom wanted me to have a piece of pottery?”

  Lena smiled. “Take it out. It’s special.”

  As he removed the bowl from the box, he stared at the handmade piece. It was a unique gray-colored bowl with lines of gold creeping all throughout it in no particular pattern. On one side the gold looked to be filling a large space where a chip might have been. “Lena, this is really beautiful.”

  “It’s called Kintsugi. In Japan they believe that something once broken can be made more beautiful by repairing it this way. They add the gold to the cracks to put the piece back together as a way to signify that brokenness doesn’t make something less wonderful, and sometimes what is used to fix it can make it more amazing.” She rested a hand on his shoulder.

  He had to take a steadying breath as he stared at the gold lines in the bowl. The metaphor wasn’t lost on him.

  “Thank you. This really means a lot, Lena.”

  She nodded and gave him a gentle hug. “You’re the bowl. Lauren’s the gold,” she whispered.

  Laughing, he shook his head. “Yeah, I got it.”

  Chapter 30

  Lauren’s stomach rolled as she relived the scratch of pen across paper over again. Her father had been pronounced dead mere minutes earlier and all she could think about was how it had felt to sign away his life. Standing in the room with Chassity holding her hand, they had watched as their father’s life ebbed and eventually ended.

  “You okay, Lo?”

  Frowning, Lauren searched her heart before answering. “You know what? I’m not. But . . . I will be.”

  “Let’s go home. I don’t want to face Mother alone.”

  Her stomach turned at the idea of seeing her mother. The woman was probably already dancing over their father’s grave and he wasn’t even buried yet. “Are you sure you don’t want to come back to my hotel?”

  “Yes. We have to see her. She needs to know he’s gone, and I have to start packing my stuff before we both go back to Golden Beach.”

  “What?”

  “I’m coming back with you. You’ll need someone to watch the baby since you’re single-momming it. I’ve already rented the beach house again.”

  Shaking her head, Lauren sighed as they got in the elevator. “You can’t just uproot yourself and come out to Virginia.”

  “Uh, yeah I can. I need a change of pace.”

  “So, when are we going?” The thought of having her sister with her, to help her through everything, made her heart lighten ever so slightly.

  Shrugging, Chassity pulled her keys out of her purse as they walked through the hospital lobby. “A few days, maybe a week. You’re going to live with me, right?”

  “I . . . uh. I don’t know. I haven’t thought about where I’ll be staying.”

  “Well, you can’t live with Dean forever. Yuck. Alex is over—”

  “He’s not . . . I think we’re turning a corner. We’re friends again.”

  Chassity cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “He knows the baby’s his, but he thinks he’s still in love with me.”

  “Oh, please. He is still in love with you.”

  “You don’t know him. He’s the kind of man who’d marry a girl because he ‘got her in trouble’ and that’s what this is. He and I need to take it slow just so he can know for sure.”

  “So, do you love him?”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. “Yes.” Her voice broke on the word. “I tried to convince him that I don’t, but it was just a lie. I don’t want him to feel obligated.”

  When they got to the car, their conversation died. Lauren was thankful for the reprieve. She couldn’t rehash her issues again, and even though she wanted to talk to Alex, to apologize for losing her temper with him, she had to get her family settled first.

  The sprawling mansion looked just as she’d remembered. Eight bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a guest house in the back made up her childhood home. She wanted to shudder just thinking about the excess she’d experienced as a child.

  As they walked through the large front door, the sound of classic jazz standards filled the air. Shoes clicking on the polished hardwood, the two sisters followed the music until they found their mother, sprawled on the couch with a half-empty decanter of an amber liquid next to her and a highball glass on the floor.

  “Your father was a goddamn bastard.” The slurred speech didn’t disguise the vitriol behind the words.

  Tensing, Lauren stood at the edge of the room, hoping her mother was just talking in her alcohol-induced slumber.

  “He took everything from me.” The woman sat up and trained bleary eyes on them. “He took my body, my heart, my hopes. And then he shit all over everything just because he could.”

  Gripping her sister’s arm, Lauren started to leave the room, but her mother snarled something that sounded like, “Don’t you go anywhere. I’m not finished.”

  Scooping her glass off the floor, she filled it and knocked back the contents. “Do you know why he divorced me? So I wouldn’t get a cent when he died. The asshole knew he was dying and wanted to make sure I wouldn’t profit from it. I should never have signed that damned alimony agreement.”

  Lauren didn’t know how to feel. On one hand, she’d only seen her parents at each other’s throats, treating each other terribly her entire life. But to leave her mother with nothing was a harsh blow.

  “He left it all to you. You ungrateful little brats.” She filled her glass again. “And now, I don’t even own my own house. This is all yours. And you both hate me so much, you’ll probably toss me out on the street.”

  Glancing at Chassity, Lauren fought the gasp caught in her throat. They owned the house? He left them . . . everything?

  “Mother, no one is getting kicked out of this house. Stop being so self-centered.” Chassity’s irritation seeped through her exhausted tone.

  Her mother’s bitter, resentful gaze landed on Lauren. “You. You were supposed to be the reason he stayed with me. My ticket to wealth and social standing. Instead, you turned out to be such a disappointment, and I ended up losing it all anyway. I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance.”

  Chest aching, Lauren took a harsh breath. “Shut up, Mother. Go sleep it off. Take a look in the mirror and maybe you’ll see the reason he left you with nothing. I promise you it wasn’t because of me.”

  Sniffing, the woman stood, swaying as she wandered past them. Chassity’s hand linked with Lauren’s as soon as their mother was headed up the stairs.

  “Are you okay?”

  Lauren straightened her shoulders and sighed. “I’ll be fine
. It’s nothing new, but hearing my mom wishes she’d aborted me . . . not the best way to end my day.”

  “Let’s get my stuff and get out of here. I’ll hire someone to pack the rest.”

  “What’s the earliest you can move to the beach house?”

  “It won’t be ready for me until Friday. We could stay in a hotel in Golden Beach until then.”

  Shaking her head, Lauren toyed with a lock of her hair. “We need to talk to Dad’s lawyer first, and get the funeral settled. Once I leave, I’m never coming back.”

  ~ ~ ~

  By Saturday, Alex hadn’t heard a single thing from her and after staring at the kintsugi bowl and contemplating Lena’s words, he couldn’t sit idle any longer. He’d booked a ticket, packed an overnight bag, and headed to the airport. There was no fucking way he was going to let her leave like this without a fight. Now, he stood outside Lauren’s family home with his heart pounding in his chest.

  Ringing the doorbell, he waited, his nerves crawling over his skin. Would she be angry? The door opened, revealing a tall, statuesque woman with dark eyes that were a reflection of Lauren’s. This must be her mother.

  “Can I help you?” She looked him over. “I didn’t call for a handyman.”

  Running a hand over his scruffy chin, he smiled. He probably didn’t look very polished at the moment. “No, ma’am. I’m not a handyman. I’m here for Lauren. Is she here?”

  Her gaze turned from dismissive to hard. “So, you’re the man who knocked her up?” She smirked. “At least she’s got good taste. You’re handsome enough. If a little rough around the edges.”

  Cringing inwardly, he worked to stay at ease. “Can I see her?”

  “She’s not here.”

  His gut clenched as a sick feeling rolled through him. “Where is she?”

  Shaking her head, Lauren’s mother let out a harsh laugh. “How should I know?”

  “You’re her mother. You’re supposed to be someone she can count on.”

  “She’s never needed me. From day one that girl was ungrateful, selfish, and tried everything she could think of to get away from us. She’ll throw you away, too, you know. Just like she did with that police officer. She used him up and tossed him aside.”

  “You’re wrong. What we have together is special.”

  Sliding her hand over his forearm, she swayed until she was close enough for him to smell the scotch on her breath. “Why don’t you come inside and show me what’s so special about you?”

  Disgust ran through him as he jerked his arm free of her grasp. “Just tell me where she is.”

  With a bitter laugh, she assessed her manicure. “Hopefully she’s doing what needs to be done about that mistake she made with you.”

  Rage boiled in his veins. “Nothing she and I make together will ever be a mistake. You know, it’s a miracle she turned out to be such an amazing woman with a mother like you. I hope one day you realize what you missed out on by treating her so badly.” He turned, and walked toward his rental car, calling a sarcastic note of thanks over his shoulder.

  Driving aimlessly, he tried to think about where he could find Lauren. The reality of his situation was harsh as the day wore on. He didn’t know anything about Michigan aside from what he’d seen in a documentary about firefighters in Detroit. When he made it to his hotel, he tossed his bag on the floor and fell to the bed. Pulling out his phone, he dialed her number.

  “Alex?” Hearing her hesitant tone made his heart lurch.

  “Lauren. Oh, thank God. I’ve been driving around for hours with no clue where I’m going.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m looking for you.”

  “What? Where are you?” She sounded alarmed—panicked even.

  “I’m in Michigan. I came to find you, to bring you back.”

  A strained laugh filtered through the phone.

  “What’s funny about that?” His cheeks burned with embarrassment.

  “I’m not in Michigan.”

  “Where the fuck are you, then?”

  “Golden Beach. I got here last night.”

  Raking a hand through his hair, he let out a heavy sigh. “Are you fucking kidding?”

  Another chuckle flowed through the phone. “No. I was going to call you last night, but we got in too late.”

  He shook his head and gripped the back of his neck. “Why have you been avoiding my calls?”

  “Alex . . . let’s not do this now. Not over the phone.” The resignation in her tone scared him.

  “Fine. But when I get back, we need to have a serious conversation. You might not want to be with me right now, you might not believe me when I tell you I want you, but we still have plenty to discuss.”

  “You’re right.”

  “My flight is early tomorrow morning. I’ll call you when I get home.”

  “Okay.”

  “And, Lauren?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Answer my call this time?”

  With a soft laugh, she replied, “I promise.”

  The line clicked as he held back the words he desperately wanted her to hear.

  I love you.

  Choose me.

  Be mine.

  Chapter 31

  “Give me that damn phone, Lo.” Chassity ripped the cell out of Lauren’s hand just as she checked it for the third time in five minutes.

  “He said he’d call when he got home. It’s after twelve. His flight was this morning.”

  Tossing some protein powder and spinach into the blender, Chassity rolled her eyes. “You spent a solid week avoiding his calls, now you’re upset he’s not calling?”

  Lauren rubbed a hand over her swollen belly. The baby pushed outward, running some part of her body across the expanse of Lauren’s abdomen. “He’s going to try and get me to agree to be with him.”

  “Why is that a bad thing? You two love each other.”

  Shaking her head, she fought the urge to cry. “Love isn’t everything. We can’t jump in like this again. I need to be on my own. He needs to work through his issues.”

  “Well, don’t avoid the poor guy. Tell him that.”

  “I will, when I’m ready.”

  “What are you afraid of?”

  Panic blossomed in her chest at her sister’s direct question. “Nothing.”

  “Liar. It’s because of Mother, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, look what happened to them. She said she loved him, but obviously that died. He resented her for trapping him in a marriage because of me. How can I even entertain the idea of being with Alex if that’s a possibility?”

  Chassity huffed and shook her head, turning away and opening the freezer. Arms filled with bags of frozen fruit, she returned to the counter and began adding strawberries and blueberries to the mix. Lauren expected her sister to offer some kind of rebuttal, but she stayed silent, focused on making smoothies and ignoring Lauren’s question.

  As Chassity poured the blueish-pink mixture into two glasses, she frowned but kept her lips sealed.

  “You’re not going to tell me I’m being paranoid, or an idiot?”

  Her sister shrugged. “You might be right. Who am I to judge? You’re trying to do what you think is best for my niece.”

  Heaving a sigh of relief, Lauren took the offered smoothie and brought the glass to her lips. Her phone rang from across the room, making her jump and drop her drink. The cup shattered on the counter, glass falling all over the floor, covering her feet in a mixture of glass and blended fruit. “Shoot. Oh, shoot.”

  Chassity’s eyes widened as she looked down. “Lauren, you’re bleeding. Oh, fuck. You’re really bleeding.”

  Lauren’s phone continued ringing as Chassity tried to mop up the
mess and pick out the pieces of broken glass. “Shit, you’ve got glass all over you. Don’t move.”

  “Chas! My phone. It’s probably Alex. I have to answer.”

  Her foot was really starting to hurt now. Sharp, burning pain slithered up her leg, radiating from the top of her foot.

  “Sorry, he’s just going to have to wait. You’re bleeding all over the place. Ugh, I think I’m going to puke.”

  As her phone went silent and she finally allowed herself to look down, Lauren’s head swam at the sight of the bright red blood spread across her right foot. Stepping gingerly out of the mess, she hobbled to the nearest chair and tried to pull the two inch piece of glass free of the top of her foot.

  “I can’t reach. Help me, Chassity.”

  Her sister’s face paled even further. “I don’t think I can.”

  “You have to.”

  “I’ll pass out. I can’t do it.”

  Rolling her eyes, Lauren tried again, but her belly kept her from reaching her foot. The wound throbbed, sending pulses of agony through her.

  “Can you take me to the hospital, then? I need someone to take this out and I’ll probably need stitches.”

  Chassity wobbled on her feet and shook her head. “I’m going to faint. I can’t drive.”

  Sighing, Lauren frowned. “Call an ambulance, then. I can’t just sit here and bleed to death.”

  With shaking hands, her sister pulled out her phone and dialed, walking out of the room, more than likely to get away from the sight of blood.

  “Can you at least get me a towel or something?” Lauren called down the hall, hoping her sister would hear her.

  “No. Nope. I can’t come back in there.”

  “You are seriously useless in times of crisis. You know that, right?”

  The doorbell rang, and Lauren listened to the click of the door opening and the friendly murmur of Chassity’s voice as she spoke to the responders. The sudden rushed footsteps from down the hall had her heart beating out a staccato rhythm.