“I wouldn’t do that.” Janice sounded offended as she added, “Her name is Sylvia McDaniel. She says that she is Surry’s mother.”
He took a deep breath and then blew it out. “Send her in. And hey, I’m sorry about my tone earlier. I didn’t mean to accuse you of not doing your job.”
“All is forgiven,” Janice said brightly. “But if you could take a chill pill anytime soon, that would be helpful.”
Everyone was making it their business to tell him how much of a Grinch he was. His dad had left town early that morning, but before he got out of Ian’s car at the airport he made a point of telling him, “You shouldn’t have spoken to Surry that way yesterday. I happen to like her. The two of you are a match.”
Then Noel got on his case, and now even Janice was unhappy with him. Well, get in line, because he wasn’t all that happy with himself, either. He’d lost Surry and he didn’t see how he could ever get back with her, and the reason was getting ready to walk into his office now.
He stood up and walked around his desk, praying that he would be civil to this woman as she opened his door. “Mrs. McDaniel,” he acknowledged.
“Ian, thanks for seeing me this morning.” She walked over to him and put her hand out so they could shake, but the curve in her fingers made the action a bit awkward. “Forgive me,” she said as she pulled her hand back and rubbed it. “This arthritis has made my life a living nightmare.”
“Have a seat, Mrs. McDaniel.” He pointed toward the sofa as he took a seat in the chair beside it. “What can I do for you?”
“You’ve got a really nice office building. Your office is spacious and you’re in a good location,” she said as her eyes darted around the room.
Ian wanted to say “Not so bad for a ne’er-do-well, huh?” but the gracious side of him would not allow that. He simply nodded and said, “Thank you. We like it.”
She turned back to him, pursed her lips and then let out a frustrated sigh. “I came to see you today because I owe you an apology. You see, I’m a mom, so no man is ever good enough for my daughter as far as I’m concerned. But I had no idea how badly I was influencing Surry until she called me in tears yesterday.”
Now he was feeling like the world’s biggest jerk. How could he have hurt Surry so badly? She was in pain and he was at fault. His father was right. He never should have spoken to her the way he had.
“You see, my daughter has never really been serious about anyone she’s dated before.”
“She’s never been serious about them because Surry knew that none of the men she dated would ever measure up to your standards.”
Sylvia shook her head. “It was never my standards any of them had to worry about. Surry has her own standards, and evidently you more than meet her requirements. As a matter of fact, she told me that you were first-class all the way. And that she’ll never meet another man as grand as you. She even told me to butt out of her business from now on.”
Surry had said all of that to her mother? Ian was floored. Because the reason he didn’t think it could work for him and Surry was because he never imagined he’d be able to get her away from the stranglehold her mother appeared to have on her.
“You see, Ian, my daughter loves you. So, the question you need to answer for yourself is do you love her? And is your love for her strong enough that you’d even be willing to fight me for her?” With that, Sylvia stood. “I don’t want to take up any more of your time. I’m sure you have much work to do with that new client of yours.” She headed to the door, put her hand on the knob, opened it and then turned back to Ian. “Oh, and by the way, call me Sylvia. Mrs. McDaniel just seems so formal.”
* * *
Surry had dried her eyes and washed her face, determined that she was going to meet this new day head-on. As the Bible says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” It was time for Surry to embrace the joy that she had discovered after a long night of soul searching.
She loved her mother, and that would never change. Sylvia McDaniel had done so much for her over the years, and Surry couldn’t discount that just because her mother had an awful disposition at times. But from this point on, Surry knew that the relationship with her mother had shifted. She no longer needed her approval, and that felt good and right.
She stood on the outside of her boutique. She looked up at the building, loving what she had created. But today she was able to appreciate her success, with an understanding that this was not all she wanted out of life. After experiencing how good love with the right man could be, she decided that she wanted that, too. Her heart was hurting because of the way things ended between her and Ian, but she’d still choose to love again. She just had to wait for the right man to come into her life. And Surry promised herself that she wouldn’t allow anything to stop her from loving the second time around.
She stepped into her store, noticing that several customers were already milling around. Brenda Ann rushed over to her, “Hey, Surry, how are you feeling?”
“I’m doing good.” Surry was walking forward while Brenda was moving backward in front of Surry.
“Are you sure you’re ready to come back to work today?”
Surry was thankful that she had Brenda. The woman knew her job and took pride in doing it right. She didn’t even want Surry to damage the profits and image of her own boutique. Surry put her hands on Brenda Ann’s shoulders. “I’m good. I cried my eyes out last night. I prayed about it, and now I’m here to work.”
Brenda shrugged. “If you’re good, then I’m good.”
“Hey, I won’t be the first woman to have to work while dealing with personal issues.” She put a smile on her face and said, “Let’s go make some sales.”
And Surry meant every word she’d said. She wasn’t going to let her problems with Ian interfere with her work...not today, anyway. “That color looks lovely next to your complexion,” Surry said as she approached a customer.
The woman beamed. “Thanks, I think I’ll buy it.”
The day was going well. The store was racking up sales and Surry was enjoying the work. It took her mind off Ian and how badly things had turned out for them. Maybe if she didn’t have such a need to fix every doggone little thing in life, she wouldn’t have rushed to try to solve a problem that Ian hadn’t wanted solved. But she wasn’t going to dwell on it anymore. She was going to work through the rest of the day and then prepare herself for going home alone as usual.
At about one in the afternoon, the chime above the door jingled. She looked across the room to greet another customer and saw Ian walk through the door. This was not happening. She wasn’t prepared to see this man. Not after the hateful things he’d said yesterday, not after how her heart broke so thoroughly through the night as she ached for one more chance with him. What if he was here to spew more venom at her? She wouldn’t be able to take that, not while she was making her way through a fragile recovery.
She turned and tried to rush to her break room.
Ian held up a hand. “Wait, please don’t leave.”
Not wanting to look as if she couldn’t handle herself with a mere man, she turned back around and said, “What do you want? Why are you in my place of business after you kicked me out of yours as if I was some loiterer?”
Brenda Ann was helping a customer. She turned around, spotted Ian and started nodding her head as if she had figured out what was wrong with her boss.
Other customers began looking their way as Ian said, “I’m here because I have a problem that only you can solve.”
She crossed her arms and twisted her lip, displaying that he better bring it before she had him thrown out. Her thoughts were spiteful, but hey, her heart was involved.
“You see, there’s this man who seems determined to ruin my life.”
She dropped her hands instantly, as fear clenched her h
eart. She worried that John Michael had done something to hurt Ian in some way. The last thing she ever wanted was for Ian to be hurt after he had helped her retain her business. “What happened? Is it John Michael?”
“I wish it was. I’d have no trouble dealing with an enemy like that.” He stepped closer to her, imploring her with his eyes. “The enemy I’m dealing with right now is much closer to me.”
Now she was thinking that she’d made a terrible mistake all the way around by contacting Ian’s dad. Maybe the man really didn’t mean his own son any good. “Ian, I’m so sorry. You’ve got to believe me. I never thought your father would try to do anything against you.”
He was in front of her now. He took her hand and pulled it to his heart. He shook his head. “It’s not my dad, either. By the way, thanks for bringing him to town. We worked out most of our issues yesterday.”
A tear sprung to her eye, for she was truly happy that Ian had found his way back to his father. She now had a relationship with her own father, and she was grateful for it. The two of them had wasted many years, holding anger for things that should have been forgiven long ago. However, Surry was learning that second chances were better than no chances at all.
“But,” Ian added, “you need to know that I didn’t ask for the Monroe campaign back. I believe that the campaign I have now is the one I should be focused on and that is good enough for me.” He looked into her eyes, almost begging her to say the words he wanted to hear. “But I need to know that what I choose to do with my life is good enough for you.”
Why did he even care what she thought? He had dismissed her. But maybe he needed this last thing from her so they could both go in peace. “Ian, you are already a success in my book. You are an intelligent, kindhearted man who goes after what he wants one hundred percent. So, I believe whatever you decide to do, you will be successful.”
He took a deep breath and then plowed on. “The man I’m having trouble with is me, Surry. I said some things to the woman I love more than life itself, and I fear that she’ll never forgive me...that she won’t agree to spend the rest of her life with me.”
“Oh, she can and she will,” Brenda Ann said as the customers in the store began sending up hoots and shouts.
Ian dropped to one knee, took a three-carat diamond ring out of his jacket pocket and said, “What do you say, Surry? Will you marry me so we both will have someone to share our dreams with?”
Surry sucked in a breath and put her hand to her heart. She turned this way and that as she glanced at everyone in the store, gawking at this gorgeous man who had eyes only for her. This was her chance, and this time she wasn’t letting anyone get in her way, not even herself.
“I forgive you, Ian, because that is what loving someone is all about. We take the good, bad and ugly and then roll it into one big bundle of love that we can hold on to, and grow and learn from.”
Ian wiped a tear from his eye. That Surry could forgive him after his behavior yesterday was more than he deserved. He didn’t take it lightly.
Surry stuck her hand out. “And yes, I will marry you.”
Ian put the ring on Surry’s finger, jumped up and pulled his woman into an embrace that was full of love, forgiveness and promises for the future.
Epilogue
Eight years later
Ian sat in a hotel room surrounded by staffers and Governor Juan Manuel. Everyone in the room was glued to the television as the election results rolled in. At ten fifty-six everyone in the room cheered when Ohio, that great swing state, was called for Juan. Ian hadn’t cheered, though. It wasn’t that he was pessimistic about the outcome. From the first day he signed on to work with Juan, he knew the man would one day become president of the United States.
Juan had served two years as mayor and four as governor, and he’d spent the past two years running for the top job. It was almost his, and Ian should be in the back room running the numbers with his staffers, but tonight his mind was on Surry.
They had been married for seven years—no children yet, but life was good for them. However, lately Surry hadn’t been feeling well and he was worried.
Juan came over to him, put his hand on his shoulder and said, “Why don’t you go see about her?”
Ian shook his head. “I promised that I would get you into the Oval Office, and I’m not leaving your side until my job is done.”
“Your wife is in the room down the hall. It’s not like you’d have to go far. Just check on her and come back. That way you’ll have your head back in the game.”
Ian had to admit that the governor was right. He couldn’t do anything else for Juan tonight. All they were doing in this room was waiting for the results to come in, but Surry needed him now. He made his decision and got up and went down the hall to check on his wife. She’d been ill for the past few weeks of the campaign and was now throwing up. Ian had begged her to make a doctor’s appointment. But she kept putting it off.
As he opened the door to their hotel room, Ian heard Surry scream and then start hollering, “Thank You, God. Thank You, thank You, God!”
Ian rushed into the room. When he didn’t see her, he threw open the bathroom door. There she was, holding what looked like a pregnancy test. He pointed at it. “Is that what I think it is?”
She nodded fervently. “We did it, baby. I’m pregnant.”
Ian pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her neck and then finally her mouth. They held on to each other as they had the day they married and imagined a life of love, laughter and lots and lots of kids.
They danced around the hotel room, celebrating their good news. The television was on, and Surry and Ian somehow heard the CNN announcer call California for Juan and then declare Juan the winner of the election.
“Baby, did you hear that?” Surry asked as her mouth dropped and she turned and pointed at the television.
“I heard it,” Ian said calmly.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Surry asked, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m married to a kingmaker.”
Ian pulled her into his arms and said, “No, you married a baby maker, and that is truly the best of all.”
* * * * *
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ISBN: 9781460318584
THE BEST OF ALL
Copyright © 2013 by Vanessa Miller
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