by Melissa Hill
She sighed and took a sip of the Bordeaux from the crystal wine glass on the side table next to her. Admittedly, she had always liked Cara and truth be told, she thought she and Shane were a good match. However, now that the wheels were apparently in motion on this so-called wedding ceremony, Cara simply had to come to her senses and move away from the ridiculous notion that some tacky beach wedding was appropriate.
Lauren felt her blood pressure rise at the thought of the ultimatum Shane had issued when they first told her and Gene about their wedding plans. She recalled his comment that they were to either take it or leave it and that he only wanted them there if they could act like they were happy about it.
Well, Lauren wasn’t happy about it, and she certainly wouldn’t pretend to be either.
Two can play at that game, she thought. She had to admit, she actually was surprised that Shane had so grossly underestimated her. He seemed genuinely shocked at her request earlier. Whereas as far as Lauren was concerned, it was simply a trump card, and she was holding it.
She got up from where she was sitting and crossed the room to her desk, picking up the all-important documentation.
This was her security. This was how she would get the society wedding that she had dreamed about for her son.
Lauren thought back to the last few days. As soon as Shane and Cara had left after announcing their news, she hadn’t wasted a moment in getting on the phone with her lawyer.
She picked up the papers that her lawyer had recently drafted.
It was a contract – a prenuptial agreement of sorts, really. It was a fantastic idea, practically foolproof if she was being honest. She thought again of the details in the specially customised legal document and smiled to herself. She didn’t like to be devious, but really it was the only way.
What she was proposing was perfectly reasonable; what’s more, she was putting all of the control in Cara’s hands, and that – Lauren thought – was the genius bit.
She could pursue her wedding in St Lucia and suffer the consequences, thereby affecting Shane’s future, or she could err on the side of caution and reason and have a proper, sophisticated wedding here in Ireland.
At that moment Gene walked into the library, holding a snifter of brandy in his hand. He swirled the amber liquid in the glass.
‘You look like the cat that ate the canary,’ he said, noticing the satisfied look on his wife’s face. ‘Do you really think this will work?’ He sat down in the velvet-upholstered chair on the opposite side of the desk.
‘Of course it will work. Only a fool would refuse and despite the current silliness, Cara is no fool. Besides, she wouldn’t just be affecting herself, but Shane too.’
‘What if Shane isn’t concerned about that though?’
Lauren raised her eyebrows. ‘Come on Gene. As cool as Shane plays it most of the time, and as unimpressed as he pretends to be by money and standing, he was completely concerned about it this morning. There’s no denying that.’
Gene looked slightly uncomfortable, his conscience getting the better of him. ‘Do you really think this is the best option, dear? What if it backfires and they want nothing to do with us? What if they are fine with cutting us out completely?’ He set down his glass. ‘Or worse, what if this causes them to argue and call everything off? In proceeding with this, aren’t we denying our son his happiness?’
‘Of course not. If anything, we are providing them with even greater happiness. Who in their right mind would pass up what we’re offering?’
Gene shook his head. ‘I don’t think Cara is materialistic though. Neither is Shane.’
‘Materialism and good sense are two completely separate things,’ Lauren stated in a no-nonsense tone. ‘Personally, I think the choice is simple.’
Gene ran a hand through his hair and considered the situation, wondering if what they were proposing was perhaps too drastic. It was just a wedding at the end of the day. Still, he understood only too well what was at stake and how things worked in this country.
He looked at his wife and watched as she reread the document for at least the hundredth time since his good friend, Jarlath O’Connor, a contract lawyer, had sent it over. He had to appreciate the way her mind worked. It’s too bad his wife had never gone into business in her own right; she would have made a killing – she was ruthless in her determination to get what she wanted.
That same tenacity was what would undoubtedly get them out of their current bind. You couldn’t navigate the Irish property circuit without a thick skin and an ulterior motive.
Lauren looked up to find Gene watching her. ‘You aren’t looking to reconsider, I hope?’
He jumped a little, startled by the warning in her tone. ‘No, of course not.’
‘Good.’ Lauren smiled. She wondered if Shane had told Cara about the document yet. And if so, how did she take the news?
‘Are you going to wait for Shane to tell Cara about our conversation?’
‘No. I really don’t care who tells her. In fact, I’m willing to bet that he’s keeping this to himself at the moment, while he considers his options.’
Gene felt the guilt rise afresh in the pit of his stomach.
‘Regardless,’ Lauren continued. ‘I am paying Cara Clancy a little visit soon. She and I are going to have a nice little mother- to daughter-in-law chat.’ She smiled. ‘And I have absolutely no doubt that we’ll both be on the same page very soon.’
‘Honey, I’m home!’
Shane looked up from the couch in the living room where he had been working on his laptop. Cara smiled at him and stumbled slightly as she closed the distance between the front door and where he sat.
Looks like she had a good day, Shane thought. She was glowing and smiling and looked genuinely happy. That was good, because he had had a somewhat less than stellar afternoon. But how to explain it all to Cara? He tried to push the thought away, at least for the time being.
‘Good day?’ he asked, trying to arrange his face into an easy-going expression.
Cara climbed on to the couch next to him and pushed his laptop aside. It was clear that she had had a couple of drinks while out wedding dress shopping.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted kisses along his jawline, making her way to his lips. ‘I found it,’ she whispered. ‘A dress, the dress. It’s really going to happen. I’m officially going to be a bride.’
She kissed him hard on the mouth, and ran her hands gently down his chest, Then her mouth moved to his neck. His lips found her mouth and she responded with more passion and need. Shane’s hands worked the buttons on Cara’s blouse, undoing them, removing the garment and throwing it to the floor while Cara took the more direct route of pulling Shane’s T-shirt over his head, exposing his bare chest.
Cara shivered as his hands cupped her breasts and removed her bra. Then she pulled him on top of her on the couch.
‘You know,’ Shane teased, as he kissed her breasts and moved to her stomach, his hands skilfully undoing the buttons on her jeans, ‘if you keep this up, I’m not sure you’ll be able to wear white on our wedding day.’
‘Way too late for that,’ breathed Cara, moaning with anticipation as she arched her back.
Shane easily moved out of his jeans and pulled Cara up from the couch, her legs encircling his waist. He carried her from the living room to their bedroom where he collapsed on top of her on their bed.
She cried out as they began to make love with familiar and passionate movements, fully aware of what aroused and pleased the other, bringing each other to climax as a thin sheen of sweat covered their bodies.
Afterwards, lying in each other’s arms, Shane traced a lazy circle across Cara’s stomach. ‘You know, I should send you shopping for wedding dresses more often. Gets you all hot and bothered. I like it.’
She smiled drowsily, some of the merry buzz from before wearing off a little. She felt warm and relaxed next to Shane. ‘Yep, tulle and sequins really do it for me.’
Shan
e moved briefly to pull the duvet that had been cast aside up and over them. He cuddled down next to her once again. ‘So did you find what you wanted? Are you happy?’
‘Oh yes,’ nodded Cara as she closed her eyes. ‘It’s perfect. I can’t wait. It is just so perfect for what we’ve planned. I can already feel the sun on my skin and the sand between my toes.’
Shane stroked her hair, wondering if he should mention the conversation he’d had earlier that day. A conversation that he would rather not think about, truth be told. Still, he knew he had to talk about it with her. He just didn’t know what their next course of action should be.
No, he thought as he watched his fiancée’s contented face, she’s had a good day, she is happy, no need to add all this to it now.
Cara looked to be drifting off to sleep. He studied her face and relished the peace that he found there; there were no lines, her forehead was smooth and unfettered by worry. He wondered how much longer that would last.
A pang entered his heart. His parents were important to him too, and if he was being honest, he wasn’t altogether comfortable with the terms they were presenting. He couldn’t deny that, but at the same time, how could he negotiate the problem he was faced with without either cutting his parents out of his life and drastically affecting his future or, worse, possibly losing Cara?
Unlike his fiancée, sleep wasn’t going to come easily for Shane that night.
Chapter 24
‘It’s all so exciting. I’ve found an incredible dress, as well as the bridesmaid dresses, and they are just awesome. It looks like it all might just come together,’ Cara told Conor happily on Monday morning.
After the wedding dress shopping, she had been in a great mood all weekend. She had slept fantastically every night and felt buoyed by her mother and Heidi’s new-found positivity. The only snag was that now Shane seemed slightly on edge, and when Cara queried why, he’d shrugged and told her that he just had a lot on his mind with regard to work.
‘And all your sisters have agreed to be bridesmaids?’ asked Conor, who was sitting across from her sipping his coffee.
‘Yep. Of course Kim said yes immediately, Heidi agreed to it the other day and Danielle’s on board too, which is fantastic. Maybe all of my worries were over nothing.’ She looked at her boss. ‘Now all we need is for Shane’s parents to come round and we’ll be good to go.’
‘Delighted it’s all working out for you,’ Conor said, before adding mischievously, ‘Now is there any chance we could get some work done today?’
‘I know, I’m sorry, I’ll shut up.’ Cara smiled guiltily. Conor was right; she’d been completely distracted lately, and she was hugely appreciative of him putting up with her. ‘About that – look I know I’ve been a bit preoccupied lately, and I appreciate you not taking it out on me – or firing me even.’
Conor snorted. ‘Fire my best employee?’
‘Ah, don’t you mean your only employee?’ Cara laughed. ‘Seriously though, I do appreciate it.’
‘Hey, don’t mention it. Besides, I understand that these things take up a lot of mental energy – for girls at least,’ he added with a wink, and Cara made a face at him. ‘Honestly it’s no big deal. I’m just glad everything’s working out for you guys, and that you’re in a better mood these days. You don’t deserve to have people on your back, harassing you like that. Although, if it kept up for much longer, I was thinking I was going to have to take matters into my own hands.’
‘Er . . . how?’ she asked playing along.
‘Well, I’d have to give that spoilt sister of yours a good kick up the arse for one. And have a word in your dad’s ear for turning his nose up at a trip to a fancy Caribbean island for another. Failing that, I was planning to challenge Shane to a duel for your honour, pistols at dawn, that kind of thing.’
Cara felt touched at the prospect of Conor standing up for her. He really was a great guy. It was a shame he wouldn’t settle down; he would make some lucky girl very happy.
Then she was reminded of something. ‘Conor, with all that was going on I can’t believe I forgot to mention it before, but Shane and I would both love it if you would consider coming to along to the wedding. I mean, I know there would be a travel expense and everything, but if you’d like to come along, it would be great to have you there . . .’
In truth, Shane wasn’t actually as keen about this as Cara was, but Conor had been so good to her all these years that she couldn’t imagine not having him there.
‘Actually, I had already assumed I was on the guest list,’ he said, guffawing. ‘And hey who cares about the expense – with all the nutters in your family, I couldn’t pass up the chance of missing all the entertainment!’
Cara grimaced. ‘Oh stop it. My new mantra from now on is “keep it drama-free”. Whatever happens, it’s all laid-back wedding planning from now on.’
‘Well, I think that’s a good theory,’ Conor replied, but the conversation was interrupted by the bell at the front office door signalling that someone had entered.
They both turned to look, and Conor immediately moved from his perch on the end of Cara’s desk to greet the woman who had just entered their office.
‘Hello there; is there something I can help you with?’ he asked pleasantly, and Cara could tell by his tone that he was immediately taken by the well-dressed, attractive older lady.
Unfortunately, this particular member of the female species was way out of his league.
‘Lauren. What are you doing here?’ she asked, slightly taken aback to see her future mother-in-law here. ‘How are you?’
Conor took a step back as Cara came forward to greet Lauren. ‘This is Shane’s mum Lauren. Lauren, meet my boss, Conor Dempsey,’ Cara said, making the introductions.
‘Hello my dear,’ Lauren replied, hesitantly accepting Cara’s hug. Then she turned her cool gaze on Conor. ‘Nice to make your acquaintance, Mr Dempsey.’ She held her hand out formally without making any effort to close the space between herself and Conor, and he seemed to take this as his cue to move forward and participate in the formality, obviously unsure if she expected a handshake or for him to kiss her hand.
‘Mrs Richardson, nice to meet you in person. I have heard all about you,’ Conor said, all manners. Cara was impressed at his poker face. Yep, he’d heard plenty about Lauren recently, very little of it good.
‘So Lauren, what brings you to this neck of the woods?’ asked Cara evenly, wondering about the purpose of the surprise visit.
Could it be that Shane’s parents had also come to their senses about the wedding, and she was here to offer an olive branch? ‘Did Shane tell you I found my dress at the weekend? And the bridesmaid dresses, too.’ Cara was aware she was babbling, something she typically did when she was nervous. ‘All very exciting. I’d love to show you if you’d like to see it before the wedding. Of course, you can’t breathe a word about it to Shane,’ she added, smiling, ‘as it all still needs to be a surprise. Really, wait till you see it; it’s going to be just perfect . . .’
Lauren smiled tightly and looked around the office, which was one big open space. Her glance rested on a door towards the back of the room.
‘Yes, about that. Is there somewhere private we can talk?’
Cara’s smile faded slightly and she looked at Conor, who cleared his throat.
‘Why don’t you take the back office, Cara? I’ll hold the fort here. Just call if you need anything, OK?’
‘Thanks.’ Cara nodded and looked back at Shane’s mother. ‘Of course, Lauren, why don’t you follow me?’
A tinge of worry entered her voice; she sensed that something else was up, and that this wasn’t a conciliatory visit. Notwithstanding the fact that conciliatory was a dirty word when it came to Lauren Richardson. Leading her through to the small office in the back, she held open the door as Lauren regally entered the small space, making a full assessment.
Cara tried to see the office through the other woman’s eyes. As she and Conor bo
th usually worked side by side out front, this office was only used for client meetings. Truth be told, her boss wasn’t the most organised person, and piles of paper and office files covered the majority of the desk space, the chairs and the floor. Lauren looked around, clearly wondering where she should sit amidst the mess.
Cara closed the door and realised that her future mother-in-law seemed to be expecting her to clear some space for her to sit. She duly grabbed a bunch of files and magazines off one of the two chairs, moving the pile from one place to another. She thought to herself that she would have to move it back after Lauren left. Somehow, Conor operated very well in his organised chaos and no doubt he knew exactly what that pile contained.
‘There you go, sorry about that. Conor’s sort of an artsy type,’ she offered with a weak smile, but Lauren looked more repulsed than amused.
Cara’s smile faded as she went about moving more paper and clearing a space so she could sit too. She could feel Lauren’s eyes boring a hole in her back.
She had definitely gotten the vibe that this visit wasn’t to be used as an exchange of pleasantries. Lauren’s manner was all business.
As it was, her future mother-in-law wasted no time in getting down to the purpose of her visit.
‘I came here today to discuss the wedding with you,’ she said.
Cara’s eyebrows rose and she smiled hopefully. OK. Maybe she had been right; maybe Lauren and Gene were indeed coming round and wanted to get involved in the details?
Lauren reached into her large Chanel bag and pulled out some papers. They looked formal, like something a solicitor’s office would draw up.
‘Cara,’ she said, holding them out, ‘I have with me today some papers that require your signature, and I believe that what I’m presenting will once and for all dismiss this ridiculous and crass notion of yours for a beach wedding.’