In keeping with the tradition of the race, Ruth had a special outfit to wear. Women always dressed in their most exquisite spring finery and wore fabulous hats to the Kentucky Derby; that is, those who were sitting in the boxes and the stands. The loud and happy crowds that thronged the infield wore anything and everything and it was a huge party. Mac and Ruth would be sitting with the Alexanders in the owner’s box. Mac was looking dashing in a cream-colored suit with a cream shirt and a tie that bore the Falling Waters colors. He also indulged his fondness for hats by wearing a Panama hat styled like a riverboat gambler’s. He looked handsome, rakish and charming and he was a perfect foil for Ruth. When she emerged from the bedroom of the guesthouse, fully dressed, Mac had to take a deep breath.
“Honey, let’s blow off the race and find a justice of the peace. You’re going to outshine every woman there, Ruth,” he said warmly.
She blushed a little and modeled her outfit for him, basking in his praise. She was wearing a pale green silk Valentino dress with a deep V neckline and cap sleeves. It had a raised waist and a flowing skirt that was just the right length to show off her legs. Her taupe heels made her legs look even longer and sexier than usual. Her hat was delightful, a pale green organza number trimmed with horsehair braid to give it body. The brim was huge, dipping gracefully in the back and turned back in the front so her face was displayed. An abundance of pale green silk flowers graced the band so that she looked like the very essence of spring, a walking bouquet. Mac was beginning to learn her scents; she alternated between Goldleaf, K de Krizia and Flower by Kenzo. Today was a Goldleaf day and it was the perfect accent for her ethereal look.
Everyone else seemed to think she was looking pretty hot, too, as a number of photographers took her picture. As usual, Ruth wasn’t aware of the attention she was getting; she was focused completely on the pre-race festivities and soaking up the atmosphere around her. Even when Mac pointed out various celebrities like Star Jones, Kanye West, Jack Nicholson and other Hollywood luminaries, Ruth wasn’t that impressed.
“I want him to win, Julian. Linc and Marilyn have worked so hard, they deserve this win,” she said with an intense edge to her voice. “He’s going to win, I can feel it.”
Finally the crowd stood to sing “My Old Kentucky Home,” the traditional lead-in to the call to post. They watched the jockeys being led into the gates, and the crowd roared as the horses took off. Ruth held Mac’s hand tightly as the field of horses vied for space. Even the fastest horse could lose a race if it got squeezed out of position before the real running began. Suddenly, after the second turn, the distinctive green-and-purple harlequin silks of Falling Water Farms came into view as Kentucky Rain started to pull away from the field. One length, then two, then three; it was obvious that Kentucky Rain meant to win this race and by an incredible five lengths, he did. He crossed the finish line triumphantly, prancing and tossing his head as if to say “Ha! How ya like me now?”
The box in which they sat went wild, erupting with laughter, tears, congratulations and sheer joy. Incredibly, Mac and Ruth were included in the winner’s circle because as an investor, Mac was part owner of the magnificent stallion. Ruth turned to Mac with a brilliant smile on her face and said, “He won, Julian! He really won!”
Julian smiled down at the woman he would love for the rest of his life and kissed the hand that wore his ring, thinking that he was the real winner; he’d won her heart.
Part Two
Chapter 14
Chicago
The colorful café was a cool oasis on what was an extremely hot day for the month of June. Two very attractive ladies were perusing the menus with great interest until the younger of the two made an announcement.
“1 know what I want, Mommy. I want ice cream with peaches.”
Maya’s eyes crinkled up in a smile as she looked at the light of her life, her daughter Corey. “Ice cream is dessert, sweetie. You have to have lunch before you have dessert. You’re going to have a nice grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of soup and then you can have some dessert.”
Corey’s thick eyebrows met in the middle as she knit her brow in thought. “What kind of soup?” she asked suspiciously.
“What kind would you like? They have tomato, chicken noodle, gazpacho and vichyssoise.”
Corey was clearly tempted by the array of unfamiliar choices but she wasn’t giving in without a fight. “It’s too hot for soup,” she pointed out. “I want something cold so I don’t get sick from the heat. Something like ice cream,” she said innocently.
Maya had to hide her smile. Corey had gotten her again with her unerring logic. It was unseasonably hot for June; there was no question about it. But Maya wasn’t going to cave in just because her four-year-old was capable of arguing her into the ground. Now it was her turn for a logical argument.
“Well, how about gazpacho? It’s a Spanish soup that’s made with tomatoes and vegetables and it’s served very cold.” Maya always took the time to explain things to Corey in detail because the child usually understood every word and also because it was easier to gain her cooperation if she had all the facts.
The ploy worked because Corey looked quite interested in her description of the soup. “What does it taste like?”
Maya rested her chin in her upraised hand. By now most mothers would have told their child to sit up, shut up and eat what was put in front of her, but Maya wasn’t like most mothers. “It tastes like V-8 juice with crunchy vegetables in it, like cucumber and celery. Would you like to try it?”
“Yes. But I need a cold sandwich, too. Can I have chicken salad instead of grilled cheese?”
“Absolutely, sweetie. And then you can have ice cream for dessert.”
They both sat back in their chairs, each satisfied that they had won the negotiation. Maya stroked her little girl’s cheek with the back of her hand. With her busy schedule, they didn’t often get to spend a whole day together and they were making the most of it, having a girl’s day out. On the few occasions she had downtime with Corey she could forget how hectic her life was. Today was going to be a fun day for both of them. Suddenly a shadow fell across Maya.
“Hello, Maya.”
Maya froze, afraid to move or even look in the direction of the low, mellow voice that was addressing her. It was a voice she knew very well although she hadn’t heard it in a long time.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the young woman who was standing over her expectantly. “Hello, Paris. You look fabulous,” she said as she took in the total package from flawlessly groomed hair to expensive and chic shoes. Top to bottom, Paris was looking better than Maya could ever remember seeing her.
“Look, girl, don’t act like we’re strangers. Stand up and give me a hug,” Paris said impatiently. “We can’t pretend like we barely know each other.”
Maya stood and the two women embraced tightly. She was pleasantly surprised when Paris gave her an extra squeeze, clinging to her for a long moment as though she were really glad to see her, which seemed rather odd. They finally let go of each other and Paris was smiling at her with a genuine affection that was unmistakable. She was the first to speak, looking at Corey with that same affection.
“I think it’s time I met this young lady, don’t you?”
Maya agreed. “Corey, darling, come here and meet your Aunt Paris.”
The little girl hopped out of her chair at once and went to Paris with her arms extended. Paris picked her up and hugged her closely, while Corey planted a big kiss on her cheek.
“You’re really my Aunt Paris?” she asked. Looking at her mother, she beamed with happiness. “You said I would meet her one day and I did, Mommy. This is my real auntie!”
Maya gave a marginally good imitation of a smile. “Um, Paris, if you haven’t ordered yet, maybe you could join us. I think we have a lot to talk about.”
***
Maya looked around Ruth’s loft with interest. “This is quite a place she has, isn’t it? It was nice of her to in
Paris had invited Ruth over to the table with Maya and Corey and the four of them had lunched together. It was Ruth’s suggestion that they all come over to her place after lunch, using Kasey as an excuse. For her birthday in May, Titus had given Paris several beautiful gifts, but her very favorite was her puppy, Kasey. He was half cock-a-poo and half Pomeranian and Paris took him everywhere. He was well-behaved but mischievous and Ruth wisely surmised it was about time for him to have a walk. After Kasey danced around and greeted everyone with kisses and barks of joy, Ruth asked Maya if it was okay if she and Corey took Kasey out for a while.
“I have my cell phone right here so you can contact me any time. We won’t go far, there’s a little park in the back of the building. I just think maybe some privacy is in order for you ladies,” she’d said.
So now it was just Paris and Maya, the two of them sitting in the living area staring at each other. Maya hadn’t changed much over the five years since Paris had last seen her. She was tall, although not as tall as Paris. She was slimmer than Paris recalled her, something that wouldn’t please Julian one bit. One of the things he’d loved about her was the fact that she was soft and curvy, just the way he liked a woman. Her long hair was shorter now, worn in a shoulder-length bob that looked businesslike and practical. Julian wouldn’t care about that; he just loved hair, period, whether it was soft and straight, long or short, curly or nappy. As long as it was clean and fragrant, he didn’t care about length. Her glasses were gone, something else that Julian always liked. There was something about a pretty girl in glasses that got to him; he said it made them look feminine and intelligent, two of his favorite attributes in a woman. Finally Paris spoke, figuring that one of them needed to get the conversational ball rolling.
“Well, Maya, I don’t have to ask what you’ve been up to in the past five years. You’ve been raising my brother’s child and keeping her existence a secret. Why did you do it, Maya? Did you hate him that much?”
Maybe it was because Paris’s voice held bewilderment instead of anger. Maybe it was because she and Paris had at one time been closer than sisters. And maybe it was because Maya had been trying for years to figure out a way to bring Corey’s father into her life; whatever the reason, the words just started pouring from her mouth.
“Paris, I’m not going to waste a bunch of time telling you not to hate me for what I did because I know it seems like a horrible thing to have done. All I can tell you is two things. One is that I truly tried to do the right thing from the beginning. And the other thing is that I always intended to let Julian know we have a child,” she said quietly.
“You’ll forgive me if I find that a little hard to swallow,” Paris interjected. “But seeing as how you didn’t even let him know you were pregnant, it’s kind of a stretch for me to believe you intended to let him know he’s a father. You know how the men in my family are about children. Julian would have been dancing in the street over that little girl,” Paris said in the same puzzled tone of voice.
“At one time I would have believed that, too,” Maya said sadly. “But as I told you, Paris, I did try to do the right thing. I would have never kept Corey from her family forever.”
“But you left Julian without a word about being pregnant,” protested Paris. “He would’ve never divorced you, never in a million years if he’d known you were carrying his child!”
“I didn’t know I was pregnant. When I left Louisiana, I had no idea I was carrying a baby. I went home to Connecticut and I was applying for internships. I kept getting sicker and sicker and I figured it was just the stress of the divorce. It wasn’t until the divorce was final that I realized I was with child.”
“So why didn’t you tell him then? Come on, Maya, I’m trying to be fair here, but dang, you’ve had my brother’s baby for four years and you never said a word. Nobody knew where you were or what you were doing and you claim you never intended to keep this a secret. Can you understand how hard that is for me to believe?” Paris hadn’t raised her voice, but her level of frustration was beginning to show.
Just then the door opened and Kasey raced in with his lead trailing behind him, followed by Corey and Ruth.
“Hi, Mommy! We had a good time in the park. My grandma pushed me on the swings and we had fun!” Corey reported.
“Your grandma?” Maya said faintly.
“She’s getting a little ahead of herself,” Ruth said serenely. “Julian, Senior and I are engaged. So in a way, I am her grandma, or I will be, by blessing of marriage.”
Maya tried changing the subject to Paris’s upcoming nuptials. “And you’re engaged, too. Wow, this is huge. Best wishes and all that,” she said gamely. She took a good look at her daughter, who was now seated happily in her aunt’s lap. Kasey was standing on his hind legs with his feet in Corey’s lap, taking advantage of the double ear-scratching he was getting. Paris and Corey could have been mother and daughter, they looked so much alike. They had the same creamy skin, the same abundant black hair, the same smile and the same mad giggle when something amused them. Corey even had a tiny beauty mark in the exact same place as Paris’s, near the corner of her mouth, where it drew attention to her pretty lips. Maya spoke quietly, asking Corey to tell her Aunt Paris her full name.
“My name is Juliana Corinna Deveraux,” she said proudly. “I was named after my daddy and you.” She climbed off Paris’s lap and called to Kasey. They began to play rather noisily near the kitchen while Paris let the tears roll unchecked.
“You really did mean it, didn’t you?” Paris said in a near-whisper. “Whatever your reasons were, you never intended to keep her from us, did you?”
Ruth had been discreetly staying out of the way in the bedroom, but entered just in time to hand Paris a box of tissue. Maya was teary-eyed herself and turned to Paris and Ruth with a sincerity that seemed utterly believable.
“I knew this day was going to come and I thought I’d be better prepared. But the fact is Fm not. I have no idea what to do next. I haven’t seen your brother in a long time, but I can’t believe he’s changed so much that I can just stroll up to the house and say ‘Oh, by the way, here’s the baby I hid from you for four years.’ Paris, I hate to put you in the middle of this, but you’ve got to help me,” she entreated.
“Lord, today,” was Ruth’s only contribution to the conversation.
After Maya and Corey left, Ruth and Paris were left in a weird silence that was finally broken by Ruth. “Sweetie, if you’re going to ask me to keep this a secret from your daddy, I don’t know if it’s possible. I’ve never lied to him yet and I don’t want to start now.”
“Lie to him? Oh, no, I don’t want you to tell him lies, that’ll only make this mess worse. What I want you to do is help me get him and Julian up here as soon as possible. This has to be dealt with quick, fast and in a hurry. Prolonging it is only going to make it worse,” Paris said quickly.
Kasey barked sharply as if he agreed and both women laughed. “I swear he understands every word I say,” Paris said and patted her lap so he would jump up to cuddle with her.
“I’m sure he does. That’s the smartest little dog I’ve ever seen in my life. That’s just one of the reasons I love my future son-in-law so much, he gives very good gifts.”
Kasey barked again and gave her his big smile, the one that never failed to elicit an “aww” from the two ladies in his life. Paris showed all of her teeth in an identical smile. “You said son-in-law,” she gloated.
Ruth’s eyes rounded in surprise and she thought about her words for a second. “Oh, shoot. Well in a sense he will be my son-in-law, won’t he? You’re marrying Titus and I’m marrying your daddy, so I’ll be his...” Her voice trailed off when she noticed Paris giggling like mad.
“I love doing that to you,” she confessed. “You’re going to be my mama-by-marriage. I don’t care for that term stepmother. It makes you sound like a household good, like an ironing board or a ladder or something.”
Before Ruth could get all gushy over this declaration, Paris went back to the job at hand. “So, mama-to-be, what the heck are we going to do about this? We need to get Daddy and Julian here pronto. Any suggestions?”
Ruth thought for a minute while Kasey jumped up next to her on the big chair and sniffed her pockets just in case she had a treat in one of them. She usually carried one or two when she took him out. Finding nothing, he sighed heavily and flopped across her lap. She rubbed his head absent-mindedly and began to speak.
“There’s a conference here next week. My Julian was saying he wanted to come so he’d have a reason to see me that could be exempted from his taxes.” She stopped talking and smiled. “Isn’t that sweet? He’s so adorable. And brilliant. He thinks of everything,” she said in the soft tone of voice she always used when discussing her beloved.
Paris had to turn her head to keep from bursting out into I told you so. Instead she cleared her throat and said it was a good thought. “That’s a good reason for Julian to come up here with Daddy. When he does, I’ll talk to him. I won’t tell him the whole story, but I’ll get him to cooperate. Believe it or not, I can usually get my brothers to do anything I ask them to,” she said immodestly but honestly.
Ruth knew this to be true. Paris’s brothers loved her devotedly and would walk through hell for her. “Okay, well, that sounds like a plan. Or the beginnings of one. Just tell me this, sweetie. How come they got divorced in the first place? I have to tell you, Maya seems like a real keeper,” she said in her frank manner.
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