by Claire Adams
“You’re in love with her.”
I looked at my black-hearted assistant, but I didn’t answer her. Instead, I grabbed my coat and keys and I looked at the attorney and asked, “Is there anything else I need to sign before I can legally get married tomorrow?”
“No.”
Without another word, I pushed past Mel in the doorway and went to find Chloe. I had to tell her the truth. I had to tell her that I’d gone about this the wrong way and for all the wrong reasons. I had to tell her that just then, at that very moment, I realized I was really in love with her. I was head over heels in love with her and I was going to do anything to protect her, even if that meant protecting her from me.
I called her as soon as I got into the car. Her phone went to voicemail. I hung up and called my sister. When Whitney answered, I could hear a lot of noise and music in the background and I remembered they were taking Chloe out tonight. “Where are you?”
“This is her last hurrah. You don’t need to be here. Go home, Logan, or go out and have fun with your friends.”
“Whitney, I need to talk to her. Tell me where you-” My sister hung up on me. Instead of making another call, I sent a text to Caroline. My sister-in-law was a lot nicer than my sister. “Caroline, I need to see Chloe. It’s urgent. Where are you?”
“At the Pink Vermillion in the Village. Don’t tell Whitney I told you.”
I smiled at that. “I won’t, thank you.”
I drove as quickly as I could, but it still took me forty minutes to get to the Village with the traffic. I left the car with the valets and went inside the crowded bar. I took my phone out and was just about to text Chloe when I saw her.
For a second, the rest of the crowd disappeared and my eyes saw only her. She was dressed in a lacy mini dress and a pair of cowboy boots. I smiled at that. She wasn’t going to completely give in to someone else’s sense of style. I loved that about her. Damn, I love everything I know about her. How did I not realize that before?
I started toward her and was about halfway there when the small crowd between us moved. That was when I saw who she was talking to.
Lisa was standing a few feet from her. She was dressed to the nines as usual and her dark hair shone under the colored lights of the bar. She had a smile on her face, and Chloe did, too. But something about Lisa being here struck me as wrong and I felt like someone had just planted a knife in my gut.
I pushed my way through the last few people between me and them and Lisa looked up and saw me first.
“Logan!” she smiled like she was both surprised and ecstatic to see me. I looked at Chloe and she smiled, too, but she looked confused about me being there.
“Lisa, what are you doing here?”
“I was out celebrating with some friends tonight and I saw your sister. I went over to say hello and I met your fiancée here.” She smiled at Chloe, but it didn’t register in her eyes.
“Celebrating? Out? You’re a few thousand miles from home for a night out and a celebration.”
“No, I’m not! That’s what I was celebrating. Look!” She reached into the bag on her shoulder and pulled out something that looked like a legal document. I looked at it and it took me a few minutes to realize what I was reading. When it processed at last, I looked up at Lisa and said,
“You got your citizenship?”
“Yes, just completed today! Aren’t you thrilled for me?”
“Yes, of course. Congratulations. I need to speak to Chloe.”
“Chloe and I were just talking about your citizenship status. I realized just before you came in that she had no idea you weren’t a citizen yet.” Chloe’s head snapped around and she looked at me. There was a question in her eyes, but she didn’t ask it. I reluctantly looked away from her and back at Lisa. The music was pounding loudly in the background. I took hold of Lisa’s arm and moved her into the alcove near the restrooms where it was at least a little quieter. Chloe followed us.
“I don’t know what you’re doing, Lisa, but you need to back off, now.”
She tried to feign a shocked look. “What I’m doing? I told you I just happened to run into Chloe-”
“I don’t believe you.” I looked at Chloe. “Did your roommate know where you would be tonight?” Chloe nodded numbly.
My sister and Chloe’s sister suddenly appeared out of the crowd. Whitney’s eyes went from me to Chloe to Lisa. Claire put her arm around her sister’s waist and said,
“Hey, Chloe, are you okay?” She nodded again, but her face was pale and she had that look she got when her analytical wheels are turning.
“I need to talk to Chloe,” I said again. “Chloe, can we go outside?”
“Apparently, Chloe didn’t know that he wasn’t a citizen yet,” Lisa said to my sister and Chloe’s. “I only found out when I was applying for mine because they check out all of your associates, you know.”
“Shut up, Lisa!” I snapped at her loudly and now all the women looked shocked.
“Logan, maybe we should take Chloe home,” Whitney said.
“No! I will take her home after we talk.” I held my hand out to her, but she didn’t take it. Claire took a step back with her protectively and it pissed me off. Did they think I was going to hurt her?
“I think you should talk to her tomorrow, Logan,” Claire said. She turned Chloe around and started to lead her toward the door. I was about to follow when I suddenly had to know. I looked at Lisa and said,
“Why?”
“Why, Logan, really? All that time we were together, we talked about our future. When you finally married me, you spent the whole time we were together worried about that damned company and convinced me that there was no worry or hurry about getting our citizenship taken care of.”
I looked at my sister, she was standing her ground, listening to every word. I had a sinking feeling Chloe might not be the only one walking out of my life after this. “I stuck by you through sixteen-hour days at work and nighttimes filled with the sounds of you grieving your brother. And when the day came that I got the letter telling me I wouldn’t be able to renew my visa again, do you remember what you said?”
“Yes, I told you we would fix it. I told you to go home and take care of it from there and I would help you with whatever you needed. When I flew out to Vancouver the next time, you wouldn’t even talk to me. You sent that woman from the U.K. over to my parent’s house to serve me with divorce papers.”
“You sent me away to another country and it was over a month before you flew out to check on me.”
“You’re being dramatic, Lisa, as usual. I called you every day. I had my attorneys working on your immigration problems, I went to Canada the first chance I had. I was in the midst of starting a company and my brother had just died. When I got there, you were already in the midst of an affair Lisa. You want to tell my sister with whom?”
That was information that I’d gotten from the woman that served the papers. She seemed happy to tell me that my wife had taken a lover – a female one.
“It was all about you, Logan. It was always all about you. You were so blinded by your own narcissism that you didn’t even have time to see me.” She looked at Whitney and said, “I met a woman while I was in Canada all alone and I fell for her. She took my heart that Logan had broken and she mended it. She’s stood by my side these years and our love has grown.
“I filed for divorce and I was happy I did, at least for a while. Your brother didn’t want it to come out that he’d turned his ex-wife lesbian, so he gave me whatever I wanted for quite a few years, and then suddenly, five years ago, he stopped and turned his back on me. He got comfortable enough to believe nobody would care why we broke up this long after the fact.
“He was probably right, but that didn’t change the fact that he owed me. I’d gotten used to that money and so had my family. My father’s business depended on my income to keep it going. My little sister depended on it to pay for her schooling and other things she needed. He took food from my f
amily’s table and that was not okay.”
“Money?” Whitney whispered in disbelief. “You’re here to try and ruin his relationship with Chloe over money?”
Lisa rolled her eyes. “It’s not just about money. He demolished my self-esteem. It took years for me to get it back and just when things were going well again and I’d met a new woman, he stopped the payments and pulled the rug out from underneath me.
“His relationship with that Minnesota girl was never real to begin with, just ask him. Little mousy Chloe might have her feelings hurt for a while, but she’ll get over it. Logan, on the other hand, won’t bat an eye over her. My sweet Melanie almost left me when my life fell apart, but instead, she was the one that came up with the idea of how to help me.” She smiled again as the realization dawned on my face.
“Melanie? Mel?” Fuck.
“Yes, my love, Mel. I knew you well enough to know that you’d take one look at her and hire her on the spot. You would hire her to get into her pants, but when she refused, you’d keep her because she was brilliant and you’d realize how much you needed her.
“Melanie intercepted those letters from Immigration until that last one came. Then, she devised this plan to get you to marry this dimwit from Minnesota.” I took a step toward her when she said that and my sister put her hand on my chest. “Aw, isn’t that sweet? He wants to protect her. I never thought it was possible you’d fall in love, too. That makes this all that much more delicious.”
“This? What exactly is this? What do you think you’re going to get out of any of this?”
“When you walk out of here tonight, you’ll walk into a sea of reporters. Mel had arranged for them to be at the office tonight, but she diverted them when you came here. They’re going to ask about your citizenship status and the wedding you planned for tomorrow.
“Oh, did I mention that Immigration will be here, too? They’ll be very interested to know you planned on marrying this little farm girl just long enough to become a U.S. citizen. I don’t think they’ll be very apt to want to reinstate your visa any time soon.
“Oh, and besides those assets that Mel managed to talk you into transferring into a trust fund for your future children, unless you leave the country voluntarily before December 15th, you’re going to have a hell of a time accessing those from Canada.”
“Mel didn’t put that money into trust, did she?” I didn’t care about the other money. If I had to start over financially, that was the least of my problems. I was curious about what Lisa and Mel were going to get out of this.
“Oh, she did, but she put it in both our names. All I had to do was sign the paperwork she already had you sign. Now, I have as much access to it as you. I plan to empty it out first thing in the morning.”
“You’re evil!” Whitney said.
I was too shocked to even speak. I’d poured my heart out to Mel. I’d told her everything. I had trusted her with everything. She knew more about me than my own mother. I’d fed Lisa every morsel of my life and what she couldn’t find out on her own, she found out from her little sister, who was living with Chloe this whole time.
My head was pounding and my heart already hurt. I’d lost everything and the only thing I could think of right now was how hurt and confused Chloe must be. I looked at my sister and said,
“I need to find Chloe.” I didn’t even look back at Lisa as I left. I could hear her laughing and I felt Whitney behind me. As soon as we hit the front door of the bar, a microphone was in my face and a camera in Whitney’s.
“Mr. Moreau, is it true that you planned on marrying a woman tomorrow just to stay in the country? Did this woman know about your plans? Did you know your ex-wife just became a citizen today? When will you have to return to Canada?” Flash bulbs were going off as they yelled questions, but I didn’t care. I was trying to get to the valet to get my car when I felt Whitney’s hand on my arm,
“Come on,” she said.
I followed her as the reporters chased us down the street to her car. I felt like I was in a fog. I felt like my life was over. Chloe would never forgive me. I’d lost her and I felt nothing but lost myself.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHLOE
“Honey, are you sure you won’t come with us?” I was at the airport with my parents and my sister’s family. My sister had sent Max and the boys on the plane already while she and my parents made one more pitch for me to come back to Minnesota with them.
“I’m sure,” I gave my mother as much of a smile as I could manage. It was December 12th, three days before Logan had to leave the country and thirteen days until Christmas. I was going to kiss my family goodbye and be alone in this big city with no job, family, or Logan.
But I knew if I gave up now and went home, I’d bury my head in that fertile soil and stay there forever. That was not going to be my life. I worked too hard to get this far and I wasn’t about to give it all up because I’d been duped. I would feel like an absolute fool for a long time, I’m sure. But I knew that if I just kept my head up and kept moving forward, I could get through this.
“I will come home and visit as soon as I can. I love you all.”
We had a group hug and then my mother and sister, both with tears in their eyes, clutched onto each other and headed for the airplane. My dad stayed behind. He hadn’t said anything about any of this. They’d come to the apartment and while Lilliana cried and tried to apologize, they’d moved me out. My dad put down a deposit on a loft my sister found in Manhattan. I know he must have had to dip into their savings to do it and I was determined to pay him back someday soon.
He put his arm around me now and pulled me in to plant a kiss on my temple. With a catch in my voice, I said, “Aren’t you just dying to say I told you so?”
He held me back and looked at my face. Shaking his head, he said, “It never once crossed my mind. When I told you not to come here and that a country girl couldn’t make it in Manhattan, I was wrong.”
I laughed and snot came out of my nose. Tears ran of their own free will down my face. “Look at me, Dad. What are you talking about?”
“I’m looking at you and I’m talking about the strong, brave woman who refused to be defeated. How many people would be brave enough to turn down a safety net so that they could continue to chase their dreams? You amaze me, baby girl. You are who I want to be when I grow up.”
I really lost it then. He pulled me into his chest and held me while I sobbed into him. It was the first good cry that I’d allowed myself since this all happened. When I finally had to hold my head up and suck in a breath, he was smiling at me.
“You make me so proud. Now all you need to do is use that fire still burning inside of you to make yourself proud again, too. You’re going to be successful at whatever you do because you’re brilliant, and more importantly, because you have more heart than most people can even imagine.”
The announcer announced the final boarding call for Sioux Falls. Daddy hugged me again and whispered, “Just remember that there is no shame in taking a break from it all if you need to. Brown’s Valley will always be your home.”
I stood at the window for half an hour before I finally saw their plane take flight. Once it was in the air, I felt completely empty and alone.
I did my best to pull myself together and hailed a cab. I had to get home and start looking for a job. Dad was right, the fire was still there. It hadn’t been completely snuffed out. I needed to fan it while the flames were hot.
*****
I was rushing to get out of the loft when my phone rang. I almost ignored it. I had a job interview and I’d spent the entire morning getting ready for it. It was hard because it was December fifteenth. My heart and mind wanted to obsess over the fact that Logan was leaving. I tried hard to convince myself not to think about that.
His family kept trying to reach me, too, which was another reason I hesitated to pick up the phone. They were so sweet and so apologetic for what he’d done, but it wasn’t their fault and it o
nly broke my heart more to hear them profusely apologizing for him.
Logan himself had tried to reach me more than once. I finally blocked his number because the sight of his name on my phone even hurt too much.
Every time I thought about that big speech I’d given Lily about being able to “feel” his love, I wanted to stick my head in a hole. I was such a fool, but never again. I glanced at the face of the phone and saw that it wasn’t any of Logan’s family: it was Josiah. Damn. I hadn’t taken any of his calls, either. He tried to warn me and that only made me feel stupider.
I closed and locked the door of the loft and on a whim, I slid the answer button and put the phone to my ear. I tried to sound casual as I said, “Hi, Josiah. I’m on my way out. Can I call you later?”
“Will you?”
“Josiah, I’m doing okay, but I really don’t want to re-hash any of this-”
“I’m not going to rehash it with you, Chloe. I thought we were friends, though. I’d really like to just see you and make sure you’re okay. Will you have lunch with me? Or dinner? Or just coffee?”
The one thing I couldn’t deny I needed these days was a friend. I wish it wasn’t one that had been close to Logan, but until I got out there and make new ones, that was my only option. “Fine, I’ll meet you for lunch. Where?”
“How about Mama Rosa’s on 7th Avenue at one?”
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
“Good.” I hung up and instantly regretted agreeing to see him. I was slowly healing and reminders of Logan were not what I needed. I decided that after my interview, I would call back and cancel.
I got out of the cab in front of the Cooper Building in Manhattan. It wasn’t that far from Logan’s offices. I wouldn’t have to pass his building to get here, though, and I needed a job too bad to be picky about where the building sat.
I smoothed down my pencil skirt and walked assuredly in my four-inch heels up to the glass doors. As I breezed past the doorman, I got a look at myself in the tinted glass windows. I looked confident and sure of myself and I wasn’t stumbling in my heels. I guessed I had one thing to thank that bitch Mel for.