Safe Harbor (The Lake Trilogy, Book 3)

by Grant, AnnaLisa

  “I think it’s a great idea, Will. Layla is right. If what they want is to get to know you, having them for dinner at your home is a good place to start.” Luke smiles supportively.

  Will takes a cleansing breath. “Ok. If you think it’s what you really want to do,” he says to me. Let’s have them over for dinner.”

  “Great! Tonight! Tell them to come at seven, ok, Dad?” I say with a jail-appropriate level of excitement. “But can you and Mom, and Eliana and Wes come a little earlier. We haven’t seen them and I really want at least a few minutes with them before the others arrive.”

  “That sounds perfect. Claire will be thrilled to see you,” Luke says.

  I take Will’s hand and squeeze it reassuringly. He’s a little lost in thought but comes back to the moment as Luke leads us through another door marked for attorneys and into a room where an officer is standing guard. We walk into an open room with a single table and four chairs. It’s not like the protective glass and corded phone set up for one-on-one visits with inmates. Holly is seated at the table, handcuffed to a metal bar fixed to the table.

  “Hi, Will,” Holly says with a smile, but her smile fades a little when she sees me. “Hello, Layla. I understand congratulations are in order.”

  “Hello, Holly. Yes, thank you,” I say. It’s best if I keep any conversation with her or her mother as short as possible.

  “Why if it isn’t the next in a long line of Meyer wives. Hope your pre-nup is better than mine, honey,” Marlene says. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

  “You don’t talk to my wife,” Will says bluntly.

  Holly’s eyes go wide, shocked at his response. Until now Will has been the epitome of honor and respect, but that’s only because they thought he was blindly unaware of how they used him as a pawn in their game.

  “Will wanted to have all the settlement issues handled before the trial starts in a few days, so we’re just here to go over that information. After some consideration, Will and Layla have decided to raise the gift amount from five million to six million. With the amount of money being given, we also wanted all of you to sign documentation that the funds received are a gift, and that you understand any attempt to collect more money will be considered a hostile action of extortion and will be punishable to the fullest extent of the law.” I’ve not seen Luke in full on lawyer mode like this before. It’s interesting to see just how cool, calm, and collected he is. “Do you understand?” Luke directs his question to Marlene.

  “Yes, I understand,” she answers with an overly annoyed tone.

  “Great. Now if you’ll just sign this indicating that you’re in agreement, we can get on with this. As an attorney I advise you to read it before you sign it,” he warns her.

  “I trust you. You folks are all squeaky clean, law-abiding citizens. I’m sure it says exactly what you said it does.” I gotta give it to Marlene. What you see is what you get. She doesn’t pretend for a second to be anything other than what she is: a scorned, southern woman with a thirst for the almighty dollar.

  “Thank you for your confidence,” Luke says as he takes the signed document and files it back into his briefcase. “Will…care to explain the distribution of funds?”

  “As I considered the gift I wanted to give to each of my father’s ex-wives, I couldn’t ignore the fact that each of you already received a settlement when your divorce from my father was finalized. So,” he says as Luke hands him another legal document of sorts, “considering the settlement you received after the divorce, this is the amount that will be automatically transferred into your account.” Will slides the paper across the table where Marlene is sitting beside Holly. They both lean over the table with heightened anticipation at the amount of money they’re about to receive. I wonder what they’ve already bought thinking their credit troubles would be over with the push of a button by a bank official.

  “What the hell?” Marlene stands up in a fury, knocking the chair she was sitting in to the floor. “What is this? 600,000? I think you’re missing about three zeros here Will!”

  “No. Nothing’s missing. You, unlike the other ex-wives, managed to squeeze 5.4 million dollars from my father. That’s what $25,000 a month over 18 years adds up to. To be generous, I decided not to include what Marcus received from my father on a monthly basis into the calculation. But, I’m sure you’ve already spent that because Marcus never touched a penny of it.” Will counters Marlene’s disgust with cool delivery, not flinching once.

  “I don’t understand why you’re doing this, Will,” Holly says with her feigned sweetness. “It’s not like you to play games like this.”

  “Cut the sweet act, Holly. You want to talk about playing games? I know everything. Sorry the whole Meyer Baby thing didn’t work out for you. That is reserved for my wife.” Will puts his arm around my waist and draws me to his side. I’m not trying to, but I can’t help smiling. I had no idea they were working this financial magic. It makes me so happy to see them squirm after the agony Holly caused Will.

  “You bitch. You told him,” Holly says with astonished disgust.

  “Of course she told me! In what world would my wife not tell me about how you betrayed me? Oh, yes, that’s right…you’re jacked up world. You know what? We’re done here. These are the last words you’re ever going to hear from me or my wife.” Will rests his palms on the table and leans ever so slightly into Holly. “I cared about you. I thought you were a girl who had the potential to be anything, do anything. But now all I see is a pathetic apple from this shriveled up tree.

  “You’re lucky Luke is a man of his word. In a few days he’s going to defend you and give you the trial you deserve. My mother and the other ex-wives will testify to the horror of a man my father was. And, chances are good you’re going to get the charges lowered and serve the next mere five years in prison. I’d take advantage of the degree programs they offer in there because you’re going to need a job when you get out. If you think for a second that your mother is going to wait for you, you’re fooling yourself. Now that she’s only getting a fraction of what she thought she had coming, she’s going to take every cent of it and disappear. So, yeah…good luck with that.”

  To say Holly looks stunned would be an understatement. She’s looking at Will and me and then to her mother who is avoiding eye contact with Holly at any cost.

  “Mom…aren’t you going to say anything?” she asks with fear coating each word. “Aren’t you going to tell them that they’re liars? That you would never do that to me?”

  “Well, honey…” Marlene says after a beat. “You know your father and I…we have some plans…things we’re going to do until you’re out. Daddy’s going to invest some of it, too. It won’t be as much as we planned, but…there will probably be something left over for you. Maybe.” Marlene is walking beside and behind Holly, pacing and still looking anywhere but at her daughter. Fear floods Holly’s eyes and I get a look at the real girl for the first time. She knows her mother and has made the mistake of thinking that she’s immune to Marlene’s conniving. Had Will given them the full six million, Marlene would have planned on giving Holly a small portion of it. Now that they’re working with a fraction of what they were expecting, Holly will never see a penny of it.

  Will takes my hand and we walk toward the door.

  “Layla,” Holly calls to me in desperation. “I helped you with Marcus…”

  “So…what…you think that earns you another few million?” I spin around before Will can intercept her comment, furious that she would use Marcus as some kind of last chance card. “You people jacked him up in the first place! If it weren’t for the mind games all of you played with him his whole life, I wouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place! So don’t you dare use him as some kind of leverage! Marcus was good and kind. Despite everything you did to him he worked hard to separate himself from you. He didn’t want to play your games but time after time you shoved him in, head first, into deep, shark-infested water
. Take what you’re getting and pray your mother saves a few dollars for you.”

  I walk out of the room, proud that I didn’t punch Holly in the face. Of course she would try to use Marcus. I thought she had really come to my rescue in Tallahassee but now I question everything. Had they planned to kill Meyer all along? Was Marcus a distraction? Did they push him and make him believe that I felt the same way about him? The whole thing is just so gross that I think I might be physically ill.

  “Babe? You ok?” Will says coming behind me down the hall and out the door into the main waiting area. “You really let her have it.”

  “I was fine until she brought Marcus into it,” I tell him. Leaning into his chest I let his arms cover me and help stop my shaking.

  “I know…I know. It’s over now. We’ll sit in the courtroom and won’t have to say a word or interact with her in any way. As soon as the trial is over, we’ll never see her face or speak their names again. Ok?” Will rubs circles on my back, soothing me.

  I take a deep breath and let it all just float away. “You’re right. We’ve been married for 17 days and this is nowhere in my plan of how to spend the first month of our marriage. Now that we’ve taken care of all this, let’s go be domestic and pick up some groceries for tonight. Ok?”

  “Yes ma’am!” Will smiles and with that we walk away from Jail Central forever.

  *****

  I’m rushing around like a mad woman trying to get all the food put away. I want to have plenty of time to show Will his gift and not be rushed in prepping dinner.

  “Hey, where’s the fire?” Will says bringing in the last bags. “They’re not coming for, like, five hours.”

  “I just want to get everything put away,” I tell him in a slight fib.

  “Hey…what’s going on?” he asks as he takes the cans of green beans from my hands and puts them on the counter.

  “I just really wanted to give you your wedding gift today,” I tell him with a sigh. “And I’m afraid there won’t be enough time. It’s something that you’re going to have to explore and I just don’t want you to feel rushed.”

  “Baby, I already explored everything there was to explore in New York, Ireland, and Bali,” he says with a seductive smirk.

  “I’m not talking about that! C’mon, Will!”

  “Ok, ok! Wow, this gift must be pretty incredible. You’ve built it up and now I’m anxious for it. Give me my gift!” he says with a laugh.

  I take Will’s hand and lead him outside. It’s chilly so I move us quickly across the patio to the pool house. The puzzled look on Will’s face is going to make the big reveal even better.

  “Why is it in the pool house?” he asks with a scrunched up face.

  “Close your eyes,” I tell him as we stop at the door. He does as he’s told and I lead him through the door. We walk across the living area of the pool house and to a newly erected wall with a single door. Will hears me open the door and pull him through to the other side.

  “Did you just open another door? Where are we?” He’s utterly confused and I love every second of it.

  I close the door and position Will against it so he’s also in the corner where he can get a full view of the whole room. “Ok. Open your eyes.”

  “Oh, Layla,” Will responds in awe. He takes in the room and sees that I’ve converted it into a workspace…a small version of the space where Pop designs and builds furniture in Hickory. There’s a drafting table where he can design, and state of the art tools in stations around the room. It’s a craftsman’s dream and Will is just as overwhelmed with it as I hoped he would be.

  “Honey, this is amazing.” He pulls me into his arms and holds me so tight. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

  “It came out of the account you added me to. I hope that was ok,” I say.

  “I added you for a reason. You don’t have to ask permission to use it,” he says. He looks at me intently as if to drive home the point that he will never control me the way his father controlled his mother.

  “So you love it? Luke helped. He connected me with the same designer you used for the remodel of the house, and the same contractor. Pop helped with what tools to have.” My heart is racing with excitement right now. I feel such a huge sense of accomplishment in having finally given Will such a wonderful, over-the-top gift.

  “I more than love it. It’s amazing, honey…you’re amazing. You just keep proving to me why I am the luckiest man alive.” I’m giddy with excitement that Will loves the space so much.

  “We cut down the pool part of the pool house so much. Maybe we should start calling it the workhouse! I hope I haven’t created a space where I’m going to lose you. I’m not going to become a work house widow am I?”

  “I make no promises. These tools are ridiculous! They are seriously the best on the market!” he says picking up tools, turning other machines on.

  “Well then I better see some pretty amazing, hand-crafted pieces for the house!”

  “I will make you whatever your heart desires.” Will glides across the room to me and takes me in his arms in the most fluid of motions. This is by far the best thank you kiss I’ve ever received. Will moves us through the door and into the living area of the pool house, kissing me with every step and shuffle. Before I know it, we’re on the couch, christening the pool house with perfection.

  Chapter 30

  The doorbell rings at 6:30 and I rush into the foyer with such frenzied excitement that my sock feet slide across the hardwood floors, causing me to almost slam into the front door. When I open it, Luke, Claire, Eliana, and Wes are all standing there like little kids trick-or-treating for the first time, so excited they can hardly stand it.

  “Come in! Come in!” I step back and hurry them in so I can throw my arms around all of them. “You’re here!”

  “Welcome home, sweetheart,” Claire says, holding me tight. “We missed you so much!”

  “I missed you, too, Mom! Does Eliana have something to tell us?” I whisper in her ear. I know Wes was going to propose, and I know Eliana would say yes, but sometimes you never know how things play out.

  “Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Claire answers, releasing me into Eliana’s arms.

  “Are there congratulations in order?” I ask.

  “Yes, I believe there are,” she says with a huge smile, holding up her hand. The ring Wes has given her is very different than the umpteen karat one Will’s father gave her. This one is a simple, solitaire diamond that I’d guess is about two karats. It’s perfect and symbolized the beautiful simplicity of their relationship. There are no strings attached and no stipulations, just a simple love between the two of them.

  “So, Wes, you’re going to make an honest woman of my mother,” Will says entering the foyer with an extended hand. “I’m happy for you both…but I’m not calling you Dad.”

  “Oh, dear God, no, don’t do that!” Wes says with wide eyes. “Thanks, Will. It means a lot that you’re supportive. I’d marry her anyway, but things will go much smoother with you knowing how awesome I am and how ridiculously in love with her I am.”

  We all have a good laugh and move into the Great Room. I’ve had a brisket in the oven cooking low and slow for several hours already, so the house smells divine.

  “This might be what I miss most about having you living with us,” Luke says opening the oven to peak.

  “Gee, thanks!” I say giving him a playing smack to the arm.

  “Yeah, thanks!” Claire says with a small laugh.

  “I’m kidding…sort of,” he says. “So let’s hear about Ireland and Bali.”

  “Oh my goodness! They were amazing! Ireland is greener and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. The people were wonderful and the culture is so rich. We stayed in these two converted castles and it was simply magical. And Bali! Oh, my gosh! I could have gone blind from the reflection of the sun on the water there. It was…it was unbelievable. My husband has spoiled me and now he has to spend the rest o
f his life living up to standard he set!” I wrap my arms around Will’s waist in another show of appreciation for the amazing honeymoon he gave me.

  “How was New York?” Eliana asks. “William and I always had the best time when we were there. We shopped and saw matinees of Broadway plays. Did you take her to the deli you always made me go to?” she says with a smile. It’s lovely to see her reminisce about her time with Will. Despite the fact that Gregory Meyer most likely took them with him for show, and to have Eliana on his arm at some social function, she and Will made the most out of their time together and that makes me so happy for them.

  “It was great! Yes, I took her there, and guess what? Ira is still there and remembered me! We haven’t been there in, what, eight years?” Will and his mom share a smile, remembering a moment in their past that was sweet, and not marred by the controlling of Will’s father.

  “I’m so glad it was everything you hoped it would be,” Claire says.

  “It was more,” I tell her with a smile.

  “Well…Loretta and the others should be here any minute,” Luke says, breaking the jovial mood. I look at Will and his demeanor changes. He becomes a little tense and apprehensive.

  “Hey,” I say stroking his arm. “It’s going to be great.”

  As if on cue, the doorbell rings and we all look at each other not quite sure how quickly we should move. I take the first step and Will follows when I take his hand pulling him with me.

  “Are you ready?” I ask quietly as we stand in front of the door.

  “No, but open it anyway.” Will squeezes my hand and then lets it go.

  When I open the door, there are three beautiful women and one very handsome man standing in front of me. Erin is obviously the youngest of the three women. She’s average height and has long, wavy, dark brown hair that is cascading over one shoulder. I assume the older woman with slightly lighter colored hair is her mother, Loretta, leaving the blonde haired woman to be Victoria, Michael’s mother.