by Elle Spencer
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have asked you to marry me on such a painful day.”
Lacey let out a cynical laugh. “Could you imagine ever being able to celebrate our engagement anniversary? Yay! My father died on this day two years ago, three years ago, four years ago…” Lacey yanked her arm away. “I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
God, how did it get to this point? Dani was Lacey’s heart and soul at one time. Her beginning, and the person she thought would be her middle and end too. Now, she barely recognized the person walking next to her. “Why, Dani? Why do you want to ruin me? Is it one of those ‘if I can’t have you, no one can’ things?”
“I’m not trying to ruin you. How is that considered ruining you? I just want us to be who we were always meant to be. A family. Parents. Grandparents, one day.”
Lacey shook her head in disbelief. Was Dani really this dense? And how had she missed it all this time? Had Dani’s academic intelligence overshadowed her emotional immaturity? “And what do I tell our children when they ask about our wedding? Mama held a gun to mommy’s head? Blackmailed her?”
Dani stopped and grabbed Lacey’s sleeve. “You tell our children that Mama was so in love with Mommy, she’d do anything to keep her.”
Lacey’s whole body tensed up. It was like talking to a psychopath. “No. Mama dumped Mommy, remember? She didn’t do a damn thing to keep her. And now…it’s too late, Dani. I refuse to be tossed to the side until you deem me worthy of your love again. I refuse to be that person to anyone. It’s over. You need to move on.”
Dani looked away for a moment. “It’s her, isn’t it?”
“Who?”
“You know who. Quinn Kincaid. She was so rude to me at the funeral, treating me as if I didn’t belong there. I was your father’s student. Of course, I belonged there.”
Hearing those words transported Lacey back in time to the day they’d met. She’d brought lunch to her father’s office on campus. They’d almost collided as Dani walked out of his office. Lacey was instantly smitten. The accent. The face. Her smile. She was Dani’s from that day forward. And now, almost five years later, here they were.
“You brought your parents to the funeral,” Lacey said. “We both know why, and so did Quinn. You brought them to meet her. Get her autograph. Take a damn selfie.” Lacey threw her hands in the air. “For someone who claims to be so Catholic, you sure have an interesting way of showing respect for the dead.”
Dani sighed. “They wanted to meet you, my love.”
“Bullshit. How long were we together? How many times did your parents refuse to meet me?”
“I’m sorry, okay? How many times do I have to apologize for one little lapse in judgment?”
Lacey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “How many times? You haven’t yet. Not for the funeral. Not for Times Square. Not for this ridiculous threat, and certainly NOT for dumping me after I lost my job.”
Dani threw her hands in the air. “I just did! I’m sorry, Lace. Now, can we please go get coffee and talk about our future?”
“DANI!” Lacey snapped back. “You are literally ruining my life. Do you understand that? Do you understand how much that makes me hate your ever-loving guts? I hate you, Dani. Please tell me you understand what I’m saying. Please tell me you’re not some sick psycho who believes love can be manipulated. This isn’t a fucking soap opera! Sarah Covington isn’t going to marry her blackmailer to save the woman she loves from a little public humiliation!”
Lacey stepped back. She’d never had the urge to hit someone before this very moment. She just wanted to slap some sense into Dani. Wake her up and make her see who she’d become. She took her cap and sunglasses off and unzipped her coat. Either it had warmed up quickly or she had worked herself into a fervor. “I can’t look at you anymore, Dani. Have a good life.” She turned and walked away, having no idea if her words had sunk in. No idea if Dani would stay quiet. But she had nothing left to say. Nothing left to give the woman she once loved.
“Shit!” Lacey stopped, her hands clenched in her coat pockets. If only it were that easy. Just walk away and never see that beautiful, horrible face again. Live every day with a hope that Dani had too much pride, too much goodness in her heart to ever make the contract public.
Nice dream.
Lacey turned back around and shouted, “Daniela!”
***
Physical pain almost seemed better. It didn’t numb the emotional pain, but it gave Quinn something different to focus on. Her throat was raw. Her legs were on fire. Her arm – she didn’t want to think about how much it would ache when she stopped. The constant push and pull – the braking – the jarring dips and bumps in the trail – her arm would be trashed. But she didn’t stop.
She’d sent another text before her ride.
Please call me. Text. Anything. I’m begging now.
Nothing. Fucking nothing.
As the security gate closed, Quinn let go of her bike, letting it land wherever it cared to. She shed her helmet and shoes before she got to the side gate. Her gloves were dropped at the gate. Everything else – shorts, shirt, underwear, sunglasses – all dropped on the way to the pool. She stepped over the edge into the deep end, letting herself sink to the bottom.
Quinn deserved all this pain. She was so quick to doubt. So quick to hit back. So quick to run. So quick to hurt the woman she loved. She came up out of the water sputtering and gasping for air. A cry from deep inside made its way out. She swam to the edge and held on as all the pain and regret poured out of her.
Lacey wasn’t coming back.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Three weeks later, Lacey was packing when she heard a knock on the door. She brushed the dust off of her t-shirt and looked through the peephole. “Oh, god. You found me.”
“May I come in?”
Lacey opened the door. “Knock yourself out.” Jack looked different. His hair was longer. His year-round tan had faded. “What brings you to New York?”
Jack laid a garment bag over the back of the sofa and looked around. “Hello to you, too, Lace.” He zeroed in on one of the family photos on the wall. “You’re as beautiful as your mother.”
Lacey continued packing books into a box. “Sucking up, Jack? What the hell do you need from me now?”
“Not at all.” His voice was gentler than normal. “I’m just not sure what to say to you, standing here in your father’s apartment.” He pointed at the box. “Can I help with that?”
Lacey’s shoulders relaxed. Jack wasn’t the enemy. In fact, he could be a good listener when he wanted to be. She set the books down and gave him her full attention. “I’m sorry. How are you, Jack?”
“I’m okay.” Jack shoved his hands into his pockets. “Worried about you and Quinn. Hoping I didn’t ruin everyone’s lives.”
Lacey’s already sad expression turned into one of pain as she frowned. “I think the verdict is still out.” She couldn’t look at him. She turned back to her box of books.
Jack stood next to her, wrapping an arm around her. “What can I do?”
Lacey gripped the book in her hand, trying to keep her emotions at bay. She didn’t want to cry in front of Jack, but she’d never felt so alone in her whole life. Her dad was gone. Quinn was…gone. She’d been all alone in that apartment, trying to decide what of her father’s things to keep and what to give away. Everything held a memory. Even her dad’s ties were special – mostly because she’d picked them out for him. But what good would it do to pack everything up and store it away for years on end? No, it would be best to give most of it away, if she could just muster up the courage.
It surprised them both when Lacey buried her face in Jack’s chest. She let go of the book and gripped onto the lapel of his jacket. Jack ran his hand over her long hair. “Shh…it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
***
Jack took a swallow of the beer Lacey had found in the fridge for him. “It’s a surprisingly nice view out here.�
��
Lacey leaned on the metal balcony. “It gets the afternoon sun, and if you lean out and tilt your head just right, you can see the river.”
Jack eyed Lacey closely for a moment. She had calmed down some. Even joked about how claustrophobic New York apartments felt to her now. She also apologized for the big, wet stain on his jacket, and followed that up with how ugly the jacket was anyway. Typical Lacey. Which is what he’d hoped to see. He took another sip of beer and said, “Quinn’s in town.” He tried to look casual as he waited for a response.
Lacey stiffened. “Why?”
“She’s going on The Not So Late Show tonight.”
She turned away from him, looking out at the view. “Oh.”
“She’ll be promoting the season finale.”
“Yeah. Of course. Makes sense.”
“I’d like you to show up and surprise her. Johnny Falcon’s always up for a good surprise. They wanted both of you anyway, and this makes it more fun.”
Lacey squeezed the metal railing with both hands. “You haven’t asked about Dani.”
“I assume you’ve done all you can, short of marrying her, of course.” Jack grinned showing off his very white smile. Lacey reached over and whacked his shoulder. “Hey! What was that for?”
“Because it’s not funny, Jack.”
“Hey.” Jack reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Whatever happens with her, we’ll deal with the fallout. No one blames you anymore.”
“There won’t be any fallout. I’m doing what has to be done. I was going to contact you anyway so I could get the name of the lawyer who wrote up the original contract.”
The worry lines in Jack’s forehead deepened. “Oh, god. Is she blackmailing you?”
“No.” Lacey shook her head. “I’m going to use the money Quinn gave me to pay off Dani’s student loans. In exchange, she’ll sign whatever kind of gag order I need her to sign.”
“So, she is blackmailing you.” Jack wasn’t so sure about this little plan.
“It was my idea, not hers. She just wanted me, and that’s not going to happen.”
“And she agreed? Just like that?”
Lacey’s gaze fell. She found a spot of peeling paint on the railing and picked at it. “Just like that.” She took a breath and looked at Jack. “She has a lot of growing up to do, but I have no doubt she’ll make a difference in this world one day. I’m fine with it.”
Words. Those were just words. Jack could see in Lacey’s eyes how hurt she was. He considered it for a moment and then said, “Let me handle the contract. I’d rather you didn’t ever see her again. In fact, I’ll put that in the deal as well. No contact. Period.”
Lacey gave him a nod. “Thank you, Jack. I’ll tell her to expect your call.” She turned and leaned against the balcony with her arms folded. “So, you want me to show up and surprise Quinn on Falcon? What does that get us?”
“Lots of airtime. Especially, if you kiss her. And ratings for the show, which are great by the way.”
Lacey lowered her gaze and furrowed her brow, looking worried. “I haven’t answered Quinn’s texts.”
“She’s aware.”
“I don’t have anything to wear. All those nice clothes Shauna picked out for me are in California.”
Jack opened the door. “Let’s go inside.” He set his empty beer bottle down and unzipped the garment bag. “I went to see Shauna before I left.” He pulled a beautiful, and rather short, maroon dress out of the bag. He held it up with a pair of black strappy heels. “You’ll knock everyone off their chair wearing this.”
Lacey put a hand on her hair, smoothing it down. I’ll need help with…”
“Just say the word and I’ll have hair and makeup here in half an hour.” He checked his watch. They didn’t have a lot of time.
Lacey ran her fingers over the dress. “It’ll be good for the show.”
Jack grinned and then cleared his throat. “Yes. Right. Good for the show.”
“And you swear this isn’t a setup? Quinn knows nothing about this?”
He put up his hands. “I swear. It’ll be a total surprise. And Lacey, I’m still your publicist.”
Lacey smirked. “Gee, I thought you dumped me.”
“Let’s just say Quinn and I were both a bit hasty.”
Lacey rolled her eyes. “Hasty? God, Jack. You both threw me out on my ass. I still have the bruises.”
They didn’t have time to re-hash the past. He’d apologize profusely later. He tapped his watch. “We’re on the clock, here.”
Lacey threw her hands up. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
He pulled out his phone, tapped a button and put it to his ear. “It’s a go.”
***
Jack opened the door, letting Amy into the green room. She screamed and jumped up and down when she saw Lacey. “Shhh.” Jack said, giggling.
“I’m sorry. I just…can I hug you?”
“Of course!” Lacey opened her arms.
“I don’t want to ruin your dress. It’s so pretty.”
“You won’t. How are you, Amy?” Lacey had missed Amy’s sweet, joyful demeanor.
Amy pulled back from the hug and looked Lacey up and down. “My god, that dress. She’s gonna die! For so many reasons, she just gonna DIE!”
“Only if I make it out there without breaking my neck. Look at these heels!” Lacey kicked up a heel behind her.
“They’re hot! And you look gorgeous. I love what they did with your hair.”
Lacey touched the soft curls that framed her face. She didn’t usually wear it this curly, but it seemed to suit the dress. “Yeah, I kinda like it too.”
Amy bubbled up with excitement, clapping her hands. “I can’t believe this is happening. Quinn is so sad without you.” Everyone in the room stilled, including another guest and her assistants. “I mean, because you’ve been in New York,” Amy quickly clarified.
Jack opened the door. “It’s time.”
Amy wished Lacey good luck and gave her a thumbs up, then she turned to the TV monitor. “And we’re back with Quinn Kincaid.”
Jack led Lacey to the edge of the stage and stood there in the dark with her. “You doing okay?” he whispered.
Lacey grabbed his hand. She was nervous as hell. What if she froze up when she saw Quinn and things got awkward? What if the hug was weird? What if she couldn’t find anything nice to say to Johnny? She took a deep breath and tried to imagine what this moment would be like if the whole thing with Dani hadn’t happened. If they were still madly in love and nothing had come between them. If she had actually moved into Quinn’s bedroom. What would that be like?
Lacey looked at the small monitor hanging on the wall next to them. She focused on Quinn. God, she looked stunning in that blue dress. What is that, turquoise? Lacey smiled, remembering the first day she met Quinn. Shades of blue – that’s what Quinn was to her. Including the saddest shade of blue, but she couldn’t think about that right now. She needed to focus on the positive, like how cute Quinn’s hair looked parted down the middle and tucked behind her ears. It was simple and beautiful and shorter than it had been before, barely grazing her shoulders.
“You’re gonna do great,” Jack whispered.
Lacey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was it. Make or break. They’d either come off looking crazy in love, or completely awkward and barely able to look at each other. Lacey took a step back. Maybe this was just another one of Jack’s stupid ideas. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head like she was praying. Is was too late to run. Focus, Lace. Focus on the good stuff. Focus on Napa. Her lips. Her laugh. Her scent. The way she – Lacey opened her eyes and looked at the monitor again. The way she makes love. Lacey smiled. That was a memory she could hang onto.
Johnny Falcon thrummed the desk with both hands, then leaned in toward Quinn. “Okay! The studio sent over a clip of the season finale of Jordan’s Appeal, so why don’t you set it up for us?”
Quinn crossed her legs and clasp
ed her hands over her knees. “Sure. So, Jordan is defending a murderer…”
“A murderer! Wow. That doesn’t sound like the clip I saw.”
“It doesn’t?” Quinn looked at the audience and then at Johnny.
“Let’s show the clip!”
Lacey’s panty covered ass showed up on the big screen and the audience roared. They played about ten seconds of their love scene, most of it Quinn watched through her fingers. Once it was over she looked at Johnny and said, “That wasn’t the season finale.”
“It wasn’t?” Johnny tapped his cheek. “I wonder what happened.”
“That was last week’s episode,” Quinn said, giggling.
“And it was HOT, HOT, HOT!” Johnny stood up and gave her a standing ovation, the audience joining in.
Quinn covered her face with her hands as she turned bright red. Lacey looked at Jack and they both giggled.
Johnny sat back down. “Seriously, though. Where’s Lacey tonight?”
Shit. This was it. Lacey smoothed down her dress and straightened her shoulders. “We’re still in love,” she whispered to herself. “Everything’s fine.”
Quinn hesitated slightly before answering the question, but she quickly recovered. “She’s here in New York. We shot the last episode and then she came back here to take care of some family business.”
“Have you seen her yet?” Johnny asked.
“No. I flew in right before the show.”
“Do you miss her?”
Quinn didn’t hesitate at all before answering that question. “Terribly.”
The whole audience gave her a collective Awww.
“Thank you!” Quinn said. “Thank you for sharing my pain.”
“They’re good people.” Johnny looked at the audience. “Should we help her out, folks?”
Jack put his hand on Lacey’s back. “You’re on.”
Lacey walked out onto the stage and the audience went crazy. She stopped and waved to them. Quinn turned around and gasped. She stood up and covered her mouth with her hands.