Untouched Perfection

by Mayer, Kristin

  “I bet it does. Why don’t you show me?” On all fours, Derrick zoomed around with the car. “Wow, that is fast.” I handed the girls back their dolls. The kids came closer. I had them around me as they ran off to bring more toys to me. We were playing when I said to Savannah, “I need to go to the restroom. Can you tell me where it is?”

  “Just go down the hall. It’s at the end.” Cars zoomed about. The dolls had conversations with each other. I loved watching kids use their imagination.

  “Perfect. I’ll be right back. Will you guys save me a toy to play with?”

  “Yes! I will,” Eli said. “I’ll save you a car.”

  It was the first time he’d spoken to me, and my heart melted. I gently touched Eli’s head. “Thank you.”

  The hallway was long. The house was ornate, but warm. This was the house where Garrick had grown up.

  A little farther down was an open door. I could hear Garrick’s voice, and it wasn’t friendly.

  “Watch yourself, Marcus. I’m not a fucking teenager going off on a whim.”

  I’d inched a little closer when I heard Suzette.

  “Knoah is going to be our family. I won’t start things off on the wrong foot with my new daughter-in-law. We should be ashamed at how she was treated. Only Kourtney and I greeted her.”

  My heart sank. They weren’t happy about the engagement. Things were going the same way as they had before. My heart grew heavy with disappointment. I wanted my in-laws to love me. I wanted a happy family.

  “Your mother is right. We should be ashamed. I am ashamed I did not greet my future daughter properly.” The voice reminded me of Garrick’s. It had an authority to it. It had to be his father.

  I recognized Kourtney’s voice next.

  “You guys haven’t had a chance to meet her. You’ll fall in love with her. She’s amazing and perfect for Garrick. Savannah and Derrick can’t stop talking about her. Give her a chance.”

  “Or a gold digger. Is she pregnant, Garrick? Are you being forced into this?” A woman’s voice that I didn’t recognize rebutted Kourtney’s support.

  I gritted my teeth as I became irritated. I’d received this same accusation before. I refused to be labeled a gold digger or trapper. I flung open the door as Garrick began to speak. All eyes turned to me.

  “I’m here. There’s no reason to talk about me as if I’m not.” I shook my head. “This is my worst fear about telling everyone. I’ve had these accusations thrown at me before.” I held up my hand when Garrick started to speak. “I was on the way to the restroom when I heard the comments. They’re kind of hard to miss with the door open. I wanted to give you guys time to talk to Garrick about his feelings without me present, not trash-talk me.”

  I took a settling breath. “I’m not a gold digger. Yes, I’m living with Garrick. I don’t need this money; I have enough of my own to support myself. I love Garrick, and he loves me, too.” I shook my head. “I’m going to go now. I don’t want to be somewhere I’m not wanted. I went through that with my first set of in-laws before my husband was killed in an explosion on our honeymoon. We were young. My ex-mother-in-law has always believed I trapped her son. I didn’t. I’m not that way. But you guys never gave me a chance to show you.”

  Mouths dropped open, but I turned and walked out of the room. It felt good to have stood up to whoever wanted to label me versus withering away the way I had before.

  The kids were still on the floor when I returned. I imagined Joe was outside. He’d take me to the apartment. “Hey, kids. I’m going to—”

  “Knoah, would you come back to the study for a moment more, please?” Suzette asked.

  I whipped around to see Garrick’s mom standing there with his dad. I wasn’t sure what to do. Inside I was angry and hurt. This was supposed to be a happy time for us. My family understood. Suzette and Kourtney seemed to love me. Things were going so well, and then I was yanked back to the same spot I’d been with Vivian.

  Do not cry. Be strong. You love Garrick.

  Garrick passed his mother and walked up to me. “I think we should go. This has been unacceptable.”

  Suzette’s face dropped and tears formed, but she remained silent.

  The kids behind me protested. “Don’t go! Knoah, you just got here. We want to play.”

  Do I stay or go?

  If I left, things would be damaged for a while. In time, the things that had been said would fester and create a canyon. I would be in the same situation as before.

  I want things to be different. Give them a chance.

  “Yes, I’ll come back for a moment.”

  Relief flashed in Suzette’s eyes. “We’ll meet you guys in the study.”

  Garrick caught my hand and whispered in my ear, “I won’t let them be disrespectful. If it happens again, we’re leaving.”

  “Let’s hope that’s not the case.”

  Garrick scrubbed a hand down his face, and I could feel the nerves coming off him. This was his family. They had been there for him his entire life, from what he’d said. They were a tight-knit group.

  Please let this work out. Please.

  We walked back into the room, and Kourtney was the first to approach me. “I’m glad you came back. This is my husband, Hugh.”

  While shaking hands, I responded, “It’s nice to meet you.”

  He looked around the room at the rest of the family and loudly stated. “Likewise. My wife and kids can’t stop talking about you. All good things.”

  One more liked me. “Thank you. Savannah and Derrick are wonderful kids.”

  Kourtney continued with the introductions. Beside me, Garrick watched two others, who I assumed were Marcus and Melissa, from pictures I’d seen. “You’ve met Mom, but this is our Dad, Henry.”

  He gave me a huge hug. “Welcome to the family, Knoah. I’m sorry for the less-than-hospitable reception. That is not the Shaw way. I hate that it was your first impression of our family.”

  “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.” I probably should have said more, but it was still so awkward.

  The other brother and sister hung back and watched us. Garrick cleared his throat.

  The woman who favored Kourtney finally said, “I apologize for being catty. I’m Melissa, Garrick’s sister.”

  I gave a tentative smile. She’d been the one with the nasty insinuations. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s probably not. But I appreciate you taking the high road. I am sorry. I’m the oldest, and I’ve always been overprotective of Garrick. I only heard he was dating a couple of days ago. And it caught me off guard. I swear, I’m not normally such a bitch.”

  It was understandable to be concerned about Garrick. He was worth billions, and there were probably always going to be people who wanted a piece of him. I had a choice. Things could go one of two ways—keep my barriers up or try to move forward.

  The latter seemed to be the better option. I wanted family get-togethers—love and laughter.

  Stepping out of Garrick’s hold, I said, “I want to start fresh. No hard feelings. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but I imagine if I did, I would be protective of them, too.”

  “We’re huggers. Can I hug you?”

  “Of course.”

  Melissa took me in her arms and whispered, “I’m looking forward to getting to know the woman who stole my brother’s heart.”

  “I’m looking forward to a family full of siblings.”

  She pulled back, warming to me. “Thanks for forgiving me.”

  “Let’s never mention it again.”

  “Deal. This is my husband, David.”

  We shook hands. Next, the last sister-in-law introduced herself. “I’m Amanda, and this is Marcus. Our kids are Eli and Zack. Welcome to the family, Knoah.”

  “It’s wonderful to be part of it.”

  The brother hung back and gave me a nod. Garrick put his hand on the small of my back. Suzette stood beside me. “Dinner should be ready to eat
. Let’s head that way.”

  “Garrick’s been singing praises about your lasagna.”

  Suzette gave me a wink. “We had a chef come in and make my recipe today so we could spend time together.”

  As we filed out of the room, the tension had abated, and I was glad things had turned around. I wouldn’t give up on the family we all deserved.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  My head was swimming as we headed to the dining room. I still sensed hesitation from Marcus, but his wife, Amanda, was friendly like the other two sisters. Garrick hadn’t stopped staring at his brother, and I sensed they would be having words later.

  “Do you like lasagna, Knoah? We love it,” Zack said.

  Since coming back out, the two boys had warmed to me. “I love it. Garlic bread with lots of butter is my favorite part.”

  “Mine, too!”

  Kids were such a blessing, and this house was filled with them. In the dining room, the warm theme of the large house continued. I loved how it felt lived-in, not just a house. It felt like my home—filled with love.

  Suzette pointed to the table. I’d never seen one so large. “We’ll do our normal spots. Knoah is on Garrick’s right.”

  A little hand touched mine. “I want to sit by you, Knoah.”

  “Me, too!”

  “Me, too!”

  All the kids broke out with same line, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. “Umm…”

  “Please, MeMe! Please! Pretty, pretty please!” Savannah pleaded.

  Lucy stuck her lip out. “We just met her! We want to sit next to her.”

  Suzette looked to me, and I nodded. “Okay. We’ll put Knoah at the end of the table next to Uncle Garrick.”

  Cheers erupted. Garrick scooted out the chair for me. Savannah rushed to sit right next to me. Eli walked up to Garrick. “I’ll play you rock-paper-scissors to sit by Knoah.”

  I giggled along with the rest of the women in the room.

  “I have a feeling I’m never going to get to see my fiancée when we’re here.”

  Fiancée.

  It was still odd to me that I was engaged. Sawyer was going to flip out, too… in a good way.

  In a fun, showman kind of way, Garrick bent down. “You know I’m going to have to win this for my girl.”

  “We’ll see, Uncle Garrick. Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  “Rock, paper, scissors, show me what you got.” Their hands pounded against their palms.

  Eli cheered when they finished. “I get to sit by Knoah!”

  Garrick winked and moved to sit a few seats away.

  Dinner progressed wonderfully. This was the family I’d always imagined. Eventually. Laura and Lucy ended up on my lap during dessert. Everything was delicious, and question by question, the family opened up to me—with one exception… Marcus.

  But I felt part of them and accepted. Things would work out. I knew it.

  Henry pushed back from the table. “Let’s finish that sale before you leave, son. I’d like to call one of the board members tonight. I have a few potential buyers who are interested in pieces of it. It’ll be more profitable than I expected.”

  Hastings.

  That was a good thing. It would add legitimacy to Garrick selling the company. And get Hastings out of our life.

  Garrick kissed my cheek. “Will you be okay? I need to get this finished and inform Hastings.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Hastings would be out of our lives. That was not a sad thought.

  After they left, Suzette said, “Kids, why don’t you go to the playroom.”

  “Do we have to?” Lucy threw her head back in utter defeat.

  “Yes, we’re going to have some grown-up girl time. I’m making the dads leave, too.”

  Derrick touched my shoulder. “Will you come up afterward?”

  “I don’t know when we’re leaving, but I will for sure come to say bye. Next time I come over, though, I will make time for the playroom.”

  The kids hugged me and went upstairs. They ended up talking the dads into going up there, too.

  Kourtney shook her head. “You’re like a kid whisperer. My kids have been taken with you ever since they met you.”

  “They’re precious. That means a lot.” My thoughts were bittersweet. I always wanted lots of kids, but now I would be lucky to have one.

  Amanda, Marcus’s wife, dabbed her mouth. “So, tell us about yourself, Knoah. I never thought Garrick would settle down and marry anyone except his work.”

  It was still odd to hear from everyone else how much he worked. I got so much undivided attention from Garrick.

  “I’m actually pretty boring. Until last week, I was employed with As You Wish Event Planning.” That seemed basic enough without revealing too much of the chaos with Hastings and Navarro.

  Suzette poured tea for us, and I felt more at ease with these women. What a difference going back to the study earlier had made. I was glad I’d taken the chance. And Garrick would be, too.

  “Why did you quit?” Amanda asked.

  They leaned in a little closer, thinking it might be juicy. Well, it was.

  “I was fired.” Everyone looked suitably aghast. “Garrick had asked me to plan his gala. But my boss was interested in him. From the moment he showed interest in me, she became jealous or something. I’d never seen her act like that.”

  Melissa sighed. “Garrick seems to have that effect on women.” I stiffened a little. “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. He’s never been taken with anyone before. After Mom and Kourtney left the apartment the other day, they said you were the one.”

  “Oh wow.” That was all I could say, at a loss for words.

  She pressed for more information. “Oh, was it love at first sight?”

  I smiled, more comfortable with this line of questioning. “I think so. We fought it, but our hearts wouldn’t let us. Neither of us was looking for love, but it found us.” I paused and looked at Suzette. “I know it’s fast. And I know it might seem irrational, but I love your son. I love him with all my heart. I never imagined I would be this happy again.”

  They sat there looking at me, expectant to continue. Nerves crept in, and I rambled on. “My first mother-in-law hated me. She thought I was stealing her son away. She still hates me and thinks I killed her son.” Tears gathered in my eyes. “We were on our honeymoon in Paris. A factory exploded and killed him. I was hospitalized and nearly died, myself.”

  Suzette stood. Holding open her arms, she said, “You’re going to be one of my daughters. I can see why Garrick fell in love with you. I always knew when he did, it would be fast and take us all by storm. That’s how he is. But now that he’s given you his heart, it’ll be yours forever.”

  A tear rolled down my cheek. “That’s all I want. Because he has mine.”

  Kourtney said, “Aww, we need a group hug.”

  All the girls gathered around me. I closed my eyes, thankful for this family. They were a bunch of huggers.

  “I’m going to take Knoah to the sitting room. Would you girls go check on the kids?” Suzette asked.

  Kourtney squeezed my shoulder. “Of course, Mom.”

  We retired to a small sitting room off the dining room. A staff member greeted us on the way out. Coffee was waiting for us. I took a cup.

  After a sip, Suzette asked, “So, when were you thinking about getting married?”

  “I’m not sure. We haven’t discussed the specifics yet. I think the proposal took us by surprise.” We had a lot to discuss.

  Her brows scrunched together in confusion. Normally, Garrick was much more elaborate, and I’m sure his mother figured it would have been something over-the-top crazy. I continued on, “I don’t think it was planned.”

  The lines of concern deepened. This wasn’t going right. I needed to start from the beginning. “It was perfect, actually. Well, perfect for us.”

  She patted my knee. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come across like it wasn’t.
Garrick has always been more… how do I say it? Extreme. I figured he would have bought the entire state of Florida out of white roses versus just the city of Orlando.”

  I blushed. He’d told his mom what he’d done, which meant a lot.

  Fiddling with the handle of my coffee cup, I took a gamble. “I started seeing a therapist about a year ago to help me move forward after Dylan’s death. For the last three years, I’d been stuck in a rut. Basically only functioning enough to survive. Then Garrick happened, and I have never felt this alive. That’s my newest struggle. I feel so much differently for Garrick than I did for Dylan. I loved Dylan. I thought he was my world. But…” The lump caught in my throat.

  “You don’t have to continue.”

  I set the cup down when I noticed my hand shaking. “I want to. I loved Dylan with my whole heart, but I think Garrick is my soul mate. That’s tough. It feels like I’m lessening what I had with him.” It was still unbelievable, and I grinned. “After I told him this, he proposed. He’d already bought the ring. He’d already asked my dad for his blessing.”

  “That’s Garrick. He did make it incredibly special. When you made yourself completely vulnerable, he gave you the ultimate gift of himself.”

  That was a beautiful way to put it. “He did.”

  She clapped her hands. “Oh, I can’t wait to have more grandbabies.”

  My face fell, and I closed my eyes as if a knife twisted in my gut.

  “Mom, let’s not discuss that right now.” Garrick’s deep voice rumbled through the room. He walked into the room, his face filled with concern. Without a word from me, he knew where my thoughts had gone.

  I stood, wanting to get far away from here. Images of what I would be taking from Garrick sent a wave of nausea through me. “I… I… ca—” He hugged me to him, cutting me off as the first tear fell. This had been an emotional day.

  “Don’t say that. I don’t care. I want you. Only you. Don’t think what you were thinking.”

  This wasn’t the place for this conversation, but it was out in the open. I remembered those few precious moments of being pregnant. It was magical. “You don’t know what you’re giving up.”

  He gently pulled away to look into my eyes. His were intense. “We’ll still have a family if you want it. I’ll find a way.”