Embrace Me

by Rebecca Turley

  “You think I’m going after it because of the Field family, don’t you?” she smirked.

  “Aren’t you?”

  “No, not this time,” she laughed. “Harry thinks we’ll have the upper hand if we take over Rendell Limited. We will own one third of the stock market and be able to set the rates to our advantage.”

  “Good old Harry,” Rachel muttered to herself while she typed on her laptop.

  “Look, Rachel, I know you have some issue with Harry Mac, but I would appreciate your best behaviour at this meeting,” my mother glared.

  “He is a slimeball just like his father was,” she replied in anger, “but I will do my best.” She forced a smile. “After all, it’s just business.”

  I wondered where the hatred for Mac came from with regards to Rachel. I had the feeling there was a little bit of history involved.

  “What is this I hear about Charlie going to London for six months?” my mother asked, changing the subject while briefly glancing at Rachel.

  “It’s an amazing opportunity for him,” I smiled weakly.

  “I can’t keep up with that boy. One moment he wants to steal you from under my nose, and the next he abandons you for six months.”

  “He is doing nothing of the sort!” Rachel yelled. My mother and I both looked at her in shock.

  “Rachel is right,” I added, trying to calm the situation. “Charlie didn’t want to go—I made him. Straton really wanted his help, and I wasn’t going to stand in his way.”

  “I think if Charlie loved you the way he makes out that he does, he would have stood by you, that’s all,” my mother added. Rachel had clearly heard enough, as she placed her laptop down and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

  “I should go and make sure Rachel is okay,” I told my mother. “That was uncalled for. You how much Charlie loves me. I can’t believe you just said that!”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to sound that way.” She didn’t look that sorry if I was being honest.

  “I thought you and Charlie had gotten over all this?” I questioned. “I will be marrying him one day. He is the one I want.”

  “I wouldn’t stand in the way of that. I can see how head over heels you are for that man. I’m just disappointed that he would take this job right when you need him the most.”

  “I told him to go!” I snapped. “I’m not prepared to stand in the way of his career!”

  “You need to start putting yourself first, Shannon.” That was never going to happen; I wasn’t that kind of person.

  “I’m going to go and check on Rachel,” I muttered. I’d had enough for now.

  “Oh, let her mope. She’s been like this for months now.”

  “She has?” I asked, somewhat confused.

  “Ever since Harry Mac came on board, to be honest,” my mother added. “She hates him as much as I hate the Fields.” Those were strong words coming from her.

  “It’s probably not easy to hear you bad mouthing her son, either. You seem to forget what Charlie did for us,” I scolded, irate at her smugness.

  “Rachel knows I didn’t mean it. I say things without thinking all the time. I would never get in the way of you and Charlie, even if he does annoy me from time to time.”

  “Really?” I raised an eyebrow at her. That wasn’t the case when Charlie had asked her for my hand in marriage a few months ago.

  “Yes. I know people say I am being too overprotective by keeping you locked up here, but when it comes to Charlie, I know I could never keep you from him.”

  “You would want to keep me away from him?” I asked, completely shocked. After everything he had done for her, how could my mother say that? Without Charlie and Lorna, I would be a member of the Field family by now!

  “Not so much from him, Darling,” she said as she smiled sadly. “Just from love. It rarely ends happily…especially in our family.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I huffed as I rolled my eyes at her, “but for your information, Charlie and I have already had our happy ending.” I stood up, not wanting to carry on with this conversation anymore. My mother never made sense when she rambled on like this.

  “Your happy ending might just the beginning of your story, Lizzie,” she called before I walked out into the warm night air.

  I knew she had her heart shattered into a million pieces when she was younger, but why did she have to make me feel guilty because I had love in my life? I never thought my mother could be the jealous type, but was this really because I had love and she didn’t? Or could it be something even worse? Was this about Charlie being everything I had ever wanted?

  My mother had lost me for so many years. I knew it was difficult having to share me when my whole heart belonged to Charlie, but surely she would never stoop that low. Would she? The problem was that I didn’t know her well enough to answer that question, but I knew one person who did.

  Rachel was leaning against the fence, watching the sun slowly set over the Black Mountains. As I approached her, I noticed her wipe her eyes quickly. It was obvious she had been crying.

  “Rachel, are you okay?” I asked, placing my hand on her shoulder.

  “I’ve been better,” she half heartedly smiled, “but you don’t want to listen to my problems.”

  “Is this to do with my mother? Has she done or said something?”

  “No,” Rachel smiled, touching my face. “It’s just my past catching up with me.” I looked at her in confusion. “Ignore me, Shannon. I ramble from time to time,” she chuckled.

  “I have never seen you cry before.”

  “We all have our weakness.”

  “You know you can talk to me about anything. We’re family, after all,” I beamed.

  “You are such a wonderful girl, Shannon. No wonder my boy fell so hard for you.” Rachel was thoughtful as she looked at me.

  “Is it anything to do with…Charlie?” I could hardly get my words out.

  “No, I just have had a lot on my mind lately.”

  “I could help unburden the load,” I offered.

  “I’m fine,” Rachel insisted as she nudged me playfully. “Have you heard from my boy?”

  “Every day,” I beamed. “He is hoping to fly over next week if Straton will let him.”

  “I can’t believe he is in London photographing some of the most influential people of our time.” Rachel sounded so proud of her son and I couldn’t blame her. Charlie had managed all of it out of sheer talent.

  “I wouldn’t want to guess how much profit he will make from this. I think Straton is even issuing a book.”

  “I can’t believe that out of all the photographers in the world, Straton wanted Charlie to take his pictures. I mean…what an honour.”

  “Charlie is amazing behind the lens. I think he’s the new Straton in the making.” I sighed. “He is just as amazing behind the camera, too, though,” I teased, making Rachel chuckled. “Do you think my mother could be jealous of the relationship I have with Charlie?” I couldn’t think of any other way to approach the subject, so I just blurted it out.

  Rachel looked at me in shock. “I wouldn’t like to say, Shannon,” she finally replied, looking away.

  “Rachel, you know my mother better than anyone. Please, I just want to know.”

  “Well…Jennet has never been one for showing her feelings, but finding you has softened her somewhat. I know she is scared of losing you again, and might see my boy as a threat—in a protective way. She is genuinely grateful for what he and Lorna did, though.” Rachel studied me for a minute. “Why are you asking?”

  “No reason, really. It’s just that my mother is so against love. I wasn’t sure why. It can’t be all about my father.”

  Rachel laughed to herself. “Trust me, Shannon, when it comes to love, there are no rules. Some people spend their whole lives mourning their lost love, and I’m not just talking about your mother.”

  “Are you talking about yourself?” I whispered.

  “Of course not,
” she laughed, but I could see that she was lying; it was there in her eyes. I was going to press the matter, but I heard Frank calling me.

  “Shannon, Charlie is on the phone for you. He said it’s urgent,” Frank called from the house. I smiled at Rachel before practically skipping to the phone. The power that man had over me was scary at times.

  “Hello,” I breathed, clutching the phone.

  “Hi, Sweetheart. How’s your day going so far?” Charlie replied.

  “Well, you know, I have just gotten a herd of cattle in. Then I am going to go and chew some grass against the trunk of a tree,” I teased. Charlie laughed at me. “What about you? How is London?”

  “Strange. Everywhere I look, it reminds me of you. I went to Reds last night. The bar hasn’t changed one bit.”

  “Really? I wish I could have gone with you. In a funny little way I miss London. It was the first time I laid my eyes on you.” I sighed, remembering the way he glided across the dance floor in the night club the first time I saw him. “I miss you so much.”

  “I miss you like crazy, too. But Shan, I called to tell you something before you read it in the papers.” My heart began to hammer against my chest as I waited to hear what he was about to say. “Megan was in Reds last night, and Straton wants her in the folio of photographs we are working on. I don’t want to do it, Shan, but I have no choice. Straton thought it would be good PR to have a few shots of us in Reds, so please don’t freak when you see the photos. I hated every moment of it.”

  I breathed in relief. “Is that it?” I laughed. “Charlie, why would you think that would worry me? Megan is a supermodel and you’re a photographer. I knew your paths would cross at some point, especially if you are both in London.”

  “I know. I just didn’t want you to see the photos and get the wrong idea.”

  “Charlie, trust me, I know what the press is like. Look at all the crap they write about me.” I chuckled. “I hardly read the papers at the moment, anyway.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” I asked in confusion.

  “For thinking it was a big deal. I just never want there to be secrets between us—not even small ones.”

  “There never will be any secrets between us, you know that.”

  “I can’t wait to see you next week.”

  “Me, either. It’s the spring barn dance that weekend. Grace has been going on about it all week. Apparently, it’s a big deal down here, and being held at our ranch this year. Lorna and Brad are coming down for it with some top clients of ours.”

  “Will I ever get you alone, Miss Downing?” Charlie tutted.

  “I thought you would like it,” I moaned. “We have the whole weekend, remember?”

  “Will I need my tux?”

  “Charlie, it’s a barn dance. I think all you need are jeans and cowboy boots,” I teased.

  “A Downing party in jeans…I highly doubt that,” he laughed. The sound made my heart melt. I missed him so much. “I better go.”

  “Sure, if you have work to do,” I wrapped my hand around the telephone cord, wanting to hold on to him a little longer. I wasn’t scared to let him know just how much I needed him. He was everything. “I love you, Charlie,” I whispered. “Don’t forget me over there while you are photographing all those beautiful women.”

  “None of them come close to you, Sweetheart,” he replied without missing a beat. “I love you, too. I’ll see you next week, and I’ll call or email you tomorrow.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  “Bye.”

  I held the phone for a few moments just to make sure he had gone before our conversation sunk in. How bad could the photos of him and Megan have been for him to call me so worried like that? I rushed to my laptop like a crazed lunatic, strumming my fingertips across the table while I waited for it to come to life. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to see, but as I pulled up the photos, I sighed when they weren’t as bad as I had imagined.

  Megan was her normal, striking self in a tight, black lace dress. Her arms were draped over Charlie as she looked at him, smiling adoringly. If I had been there, I would have broken her grubby little arms. Charlie, however, looked uncomfortable, and even in the picture, it was clear to see he was trying to pull away. My heart yearned for him as I looked at his photo. I needed him here with me. It had been well over four weeks since I’d seen him, and my body was beginning to mourn the loss of his soft, sweet touch. Thank God there was less than a week to wait.

  “So, will Danny be at this dance at the weekend?” I asked Grace while she was helping her mother with the party decorations.

  “He might be,” she winked. It was obvious Danny was the reason she kept disappearing every night. Her mother shook her head and went into the other room with a handful of garland.

  “Your mom makes me laugh,” I giggled.

  “She still thinks I am her little baby.” Grace rolled her eyes at me. “We all have to grow up at some point.”

  “Tell me about it.” I smiled, handing her some more garland.

  “You really don’t have to help, Shan. Your mother would kill us if she found out you were helping with the party.”

  “What else am I going to do?”

  “You could go for a ride. You need to find your inner cowgirl.”

  “It’s not really that fun when you have about seven guys following you.”

  “Pretend you are in a western being chased by the bad guys,” Grace teased. I had to laugh at that. “When are Lorna and Brad getting here?”

  “Tomorrow, and Charlie gets here on Saturday,” I sighed.

  “You’re really missing him, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah. It wouldn’t be so bad if my mother gave me some real work to do. It would keep my mind off Charlie for a little while.”

  “We have that meeting in New York next week.”

  “One meeting…great,” I moaned. “I’m sick of hiding away.”

  “You know it’s for the best. Have you read the papers about poor Maisy Field?”

  “No,” I replied as my pulse began to race. Why did I care so much? Oh, yeah…because Maisy Field was the only member of the Field family that hadn’t set out to control me from birth.

  “The kidnappers refused the ransom. She has been lost or might even be dead.”

  “God, that’s awful,” I whispered as my stomach turned in knots. I couldn’t help but remember the beautiful young girl I had watched turn into a woman over the years I had known her. Maisy was still a child in so many ways, and now she may have lost her life because the fortune she had been born into.

  “Why do you care so much about Maisy Field?” Grace asked, confused. “I can see it in your face how sad you are.”

  “Maisy is so young. She didn’t know what was going on. God, it’s just so sad.” I didn’t realise I was crying until a tear fell down my cheek.

  “They may find her. Think of all the money they have,” Grace tried to reassure me.

  “I hope they do, but she has been missing for over two months now. She could be anywhere.” I shuddered, thinking about what Frank had told me weeks ago. I was sure Maisy would want death rather than the other alternative.

  The days drifted by and the ranch looked remarkable by the end of the week. A giant marquee took centre stage. Twinkle lights led the path to the entrance, and inside it was awash with reds and golds—from tables and chairs, to expensive fabrics and cutlery.

  Frank was stressing about needing extra security because of the volume of people, but all I was waiting for was a pair of blue-green eyes. Charlie was late…really late.

  “Shan, he will be here. His flight might be delayed. He is coming from London, remember?” Lorna passed me a glass of champagne. “You look stunning, by the way. Midnight blue is your colour.”

  “Thanks,” I replied, still scanning the crowd.

  “Try and relax. If you stop looking for him, he will turn up,” she grinned at me, sipping her drink.

  “Sorry. I thou
ght he would call if he was going to be this late,” I sighed, downing my drink.

  “Easy, Shan. Charlie will kill us if you are hammered by the time he gets here,” Bradley replied, taking the glass from me.

  I could see my mother in the distance talking to Mac and a few other clients. She had really used this dance to her advantage, even invited a handful of press to capture the evening.

  “He will be here. Stop worrying,” Lorna whispered into my ear.

  “I hope so,” I smiled weakly as I noticed Mac making his way over to me.

  “Hello, Shannon. You look stunning tonight,” Mac smiled, holding his hand out to me. “Seeing as your date isn’t here yet, do you mind if I steal you for one dance?”

  I looked at Lorna in alarm. She shrugged her shoulders at me, not seeing the dilemma I was having. Some help she was.

  “Well, Mac…I…I mean…” Why couldn’t I just say no!?

  “It’s just one dance. Please, Shannon?” Mac took my hand, pulling me up into his chest. He was way too close, so I pushed him back a little.

  “Just one dance,” I said firmly. I knew Mac; I could handle him.

  “That’s all I am asking for,” he smiled, running his hand through his dark hair. My stomach turned, but only because he reminded me of Charlie in that moment. Strange.

  “Okay,” I smiled, walking towards the dance floor. Mac pulled me tight against his body and all I could do was laugh. This was Mac—always the player when it came to women. His hand went a little too low towards the bottom of my back. “Try and keep your hands a little higher, Mac,” I replied, moving his hands that were almost on my ass.

  “What?” Mac grinned. “Can you blame a man for trying?”

  “You are such a flirt,” I laughed. “How do you get away with it?”

  “If you ever get bored of Mr. Collins, all you have to do is ask,” Mac winked at me.

  “This dance will be over if you carry on like that,” I replied, hitting his chest.

  “Where is Charlie, anyway?” he asked, looking around.

  “His plane is late.” Looking down at the floor, I sighed. Mac lifted my chin up to look into his deep brown eyes.

  “I’m here for you, too, Shan. If you ever need anything,” he whispered. I was a little taken back by his words. There was something in the way he looked at me that made me wish Charlie was here.