by Vanessa Rose
Chapter 7: Clarity in Retrospect
Dylan couldn't shake the uneasiness he felt leaving Natasha back in Pennsylvania. He had initially wanted her to accompany him to India, but they both decided against it. There was too much work for Natasha to do for her first collection for distribution, and Dylan would be mostly preoccupied while traveling. It was no way that either of them wanted to spend the fall, so Dylan continued to prepare for his trip alone. He tried the entire time to keep a nagging sense of worry from occupying his thoughts.
He wasn't successful. His week with Natasha had been wonderful overall, even though she hadn't been feeling well. Despite trying to reassure himself, he couldn't stop thinking that there was something wrong. He didn't think that Natasha’s feelings for him had changed, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what had been bothering her.
Suddenly, Marcos came in through Dylan's office door. He rolled a suitcase behind him and let Dylan know that everyone else was packed, checked in and ready to go. Marcos seemed irritated as he fanned himself with his paper itinerary.
“What's wrong with you?” Dylan asked him.
“Oh, nothing. It's just this pregnant chick got sick in the corner store just as I walked in to get a drink. It's had me queasy ever since,” Marcos replied.
Marcos continued to chatter about how gross the experience had been, but Dylan didn't hear any of it. There were alarm bells going off in his head as a giant puzzle piece fell into place. The gravity of his realization made him sink into the nearest chair. His sudden change in demeanor was enough to make Marcos stop gossiping and notice.
“What's wrong, Boss?” Marcos asked.
“I can't go on the trip,” Dylan said suddenly.
In an instant, Dylan's whole mood changed. He felt an energy he had never experienced before, and every molecule in his body was propelling him towards Natasha. He dismissed the rest of Marcos's questions with instructions on how to continue the trip without him there. With only the carry-on bag that he'd packed, Dylan rushed downstairs and out the lobby to catch a plane back to Philadelphia.
Although Dylan's heart beat with intense urgency, modern day mass transit went at the same pace it usually did. That left Dylan with some much needed time to fully digest his suspicions before he surprised the mother of his child. He knew in his heart a pregnancy was exactly what the matter was; that's why Natasha hadn't been feeling well, and what caused her to be so overly emotional. Dylan smiled to himself. Natasha was pregnant. The only thing he couldn't understand was why she chose not to tell him. He kicked himself for being so blind, and nervously traveled back to Natasha.
He was just a half an hour outside of her town when he finally thought to call her. The hired driver was familiar with the area, so he wasn't worried about getting lost. The phone rang a couple of times before Natasha finally picked up.
“Hi, darling,” she answered.
Dylan smiled when he heard her voice. A million thoughts swirled through his mind and came together in a traffic jam.
“I'm about a half an hour away from you, my dear,” Dylan said, “I think I know what's been bothering you, and I wanted to talk to you about it in person. Do you want me to bring you anything?”
Natasha was too stunned to think of anything to ask for. She replied that she would be glad to see him when he got there. It seemed like only a few moments before the headlights of Dylan's car rounded the corner and pulled in front of the boutique. Natasha raced downstairs and opened the door. Dylan hopped out of the car. He let his bag fall to the sidewalk as he took Natasha into his arms. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks.
“Are you...?” he whispered into Natasha's ear.
Natasha nodded her head and clung tightly to him. Dylan felt a sob rise up from the depths of his soul, but he breathed it away. He rubbed his hands up and down Natasha's bag as they swayed together in the sidewalk. Their entire future played out in Dylan's mind, and he couldn't remember a time when he'd been happier. Finally, after all that he'd accomplished, he would be able to call himself a husband and father.
Dylan brought his lips to Natasha's and kissed her as he promised her devotion for the rest of his life.
The Billionaire’s Temporary Bride
Vanessa Rose
© Copyright 2018 by Vanessa Rose. All rights reserved.
No part of this novel may be reproduced, duplicated, distributed or transmitted in either electronic or print form. Neither may it be stored in a retrieval system, database or in any form without prior written consent from the author.
Table Of Contents
Chapter 1: None of it was Real
Chapter 2: Turtles, Macaws and Cattle
Chapter 3: Cast as the Leading Lady
Chapter 4: Negotiating the Script
Chapter 5: The Paxton Stage
Chapter 6: The Audience Arrives
Chapter 7: A Standing Ovation
Chapter 8: The Dotted Line
Chapter 1: None of it was Real
It was all pretend. Every single moment had all been make believe.
Joslin repeated those phrases to herself whenever her eyes closed and her thoughts began to race again. The farm fields miles below offered little solace. Gazing down at them through the wispy clouds out her window only made her more miserable. Her only comfort came from the dull roar of the plane's engines. The subtle yet overpowering sound had a way of isolating a passenger. That's exactly what Joslin was after: isolation.
It was all pretend. Every single moment had all been make believe.
Her head was starting to feel heavier than her eyelids. Joslin pushed the tiny button on the armrest to recline her chair to the full luxurious four inches afforded to her by the regional airline she flew on. It was enough for Joslin to bunch her hoodie up under her head and lean against the sidewall. With each breath she took, she could feel her heart shatter a tiny bit more.
It was like the expensive heel of Blake Paxton's leather cowboy boot was dancing a two-step all over it. The lingering pain made Joslin feel breathless, and she prayed the plane would fly faster. The sooner she got away from Texas, the better life would be, not just for her, but for everyone involved.
The plane ride ended smoothly, and Joslin walked in a daze with the herd of other passengers from the terminal to the baggage claim area. She hadn't checked any luggage. The rent on her apartment was paid up for another two months. With no pets to take care of, Joslin had just packed a bag, locked her doors and left. She'd told her boss she was taking time off for family medical reasons. He was always a compassionate guy, but she could tell he was nervous when she didn't say how long she'd be gone. Joslin figured he could replace her if he wanted. She didn't care anymore, and she wasn't sure she was ever going back there again.
Renting a car was easy, but once she was on the highway, Joslin didn't know where to go. She hadn't told her family she was headed home because she didn't want to have to explain why. Joslin simply didn't have any other options, so she followed her heart to familiarity. It seemed like a flash, but it probably took her about thirty minutes to make it to the pier. Gulfport, Mississippi had really exploded since she'd been a kid growing up there. The Mississippi Sound water looked calm as usual, but the pier itself was bustling with activity.
There were food vendors and artisans, even a tiny band stand stage for open mic performances. Joslin allowed her consciousness to drift from her weary, sad thoughts to the bright sunny day happening around her. While it didn't quite make her gorgeous face smile, it did make her lift her deep brown eyes up from the ground.
Joslin bought a cute floppy hat, a bottle of water and a bag of trail mix. She walked slowly down the pier past the fishermen, past the kids racing up and down, past the parents trying to chase down the kids. Joslin felt a sob push up from the bottom of her soul. She was thankful that there wasn't anyone around she seemed to know.
When Joslin let her weight fall onto a bench near the end of the pier, exhaustion enveloped her. She felt like a Kate Cho
pin character, ready to calmly, purposefully swim out into the deep waters, never to be seen again. The air was heavy with heat and humidity. Though the pier was crowded, the commotion surrounding her blended in with the crashing roar of the waves against the pillars beneath them all. Salt air gently brushed against her ebony skin. She crossed one long leg over the other and placed an elbow on the metal armrest. Joslin closed her eyes and tried to connect to the rest of the universe in search of some type of answer, some type of guidance. She'd never gotten herself this far off track.
It was all pretend. Every single moment had been make-believe.
Make believe and wine, she thought to herself. That damn bottle of wine Joslin's mother had sent for her twenty-third birthday. It was that bottle of wine in particular, and Joslin frowned as she thought about it. The concept of wine at all made her feel nauseous. Joslin didn't think she'd ever drink the stuff again, red, white, blush, it didn't matter. Never, ever again.
The mild anger was a welcome change from the misery that had plagued her since the morning. Joslin clung to it, stoked it like a tiny flame that she desperately needed to keep warm. She stoked it too hard, though, as usual, and soon the tiny flame was a raging inferno. Joslin felt her breaths getting deeper, her eyes snapped open and glared across the seaside view in front of her.
It's killer when you can look back and identify the exact moment that changed everything. Joslin had that moment in her sights, and she hated it. It was so mundane, so unimportant, so very much like a checklist item on her to-dos for life. Choosing that one, single internship over the eleven others from which she had to choose, changed everything. It put her in Beaumont, it put her in front of Blake Paxton, and it ruined absolutely everything.
Joslin's frown deepened suddenly. She had gotten accepted to quite a few different opportunities and could have gone to New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis, and even all the way up to New York. In retrospect, there wasn't a single thing that made Beaumont stick out more than the others. It was just a simple, one-year veterinary internship. It was one of thousands out there, and she had to pick Beaumont. That part, at least, hadn't been all pretend. Her internship, and her incredibly charmed life, had been very real, actually. Up until Blake Paxton came along.
Chapter 2: Turtles, Macaws and Cattle
“Joslin Jean, if you bring one more critter into this house, so help me God, little girl, I will have your daddy build you your own house out back and you can live out there with your whole menagerie!” shouted the unmistakable voice of a mother enraged.
Joslin's mother screamed those words the day before her tenth birthday. Even as a young kid, Joslin felt the need to care for creatures less than herself. Since she was an only child, that pretty much left stray and wild animals that roamed around the woods and beaches to entertain her. Joslin always found joy in reminding her mother of that. If she'd just had a little sibling to play with, there would never have been field mice in the bathtub or a snake in the sock drawer or a shoebox full of baby lizards.
That need to care for others grew within Joslin as she got older, and now just a few steps separated her from her dream of away from starting her own veterinary practice. The internship had to be first, though, and she had learned so much. There was a lot that they just couldn't teach in vet school, especially about compromising with patients and their owners.
If anyone asked, Joslin would have answered that she had been awarded so many internships because of her extensive study in exotic animals, like macaws and different reptiles, but, in her heart, Joslin knew exactly why she'd gotten so many invitations. She was a young, absolutely beautiful, strong black woman who knew her stuff inside and out. Joslin could speak eloquently and be as tough as nails. She figured Texas was as good as any place and she knew business. Cattle ranchers had big money, just like owners of exotic animals. Those people paid their vet bills, and, at the end of the day, everyone's got bills to pay.
It was a quick trip from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to Beaumont, Texas. Whether she drove or took a flight she could be home in a few hours if her mother or family ever needed her. It was tough to leave everyone, but Joslin felt the joys of freedom before she even fully turned the key in the lock of her new apartment.
The people who ran the town veterinary practice were a sweet, aging couple. They earned their bread and butter off of household pets, horses and cattle. Adding Joslin's experience with exotic animals helped their offerings, and she was a welcomed new member of the team. The internship paid a little higher than the others and it didn't take long for Joslin to start feeling comfortable. So far, Joslin's life had been moving along at a nice rhythm. She was excited for each day and greeted it with all the energy of the sun.
Joslin felt the dues she'd paid in life had been fair, and she was grateful to her mother for her upbringing. Growing up in the South wasn't always the easiest life for a young black lady, but Joslin had been blessed with a good family and a fairly peaceful community. Even the dues she paid as an intern at a veterinary clinic didn't seem so hefty. All they really wanted from her were Saturdays and Sundays, plus two days during the week in the clinic and one day out in the field. Saturdays were normally pretty busy, and by the end of her most recent Saturday, Joslin was ready to relax.
Part of Joslin’s plans included picking out favorite restaurants and stores shortly after she moved to town. She wanted to feel like a local, and fit in as one, too. She knew she'd stand out initially, but Joslin always used that to her advantage. While her beauty normally snagged everyone's attention first, Joslin always kept it because she was happy, exuberant and able to converse with anyone. That's why the people at her new favorite town diner loved her so, just like the team at the veterinary hospital. When she showed up on Saturdays after work, the whole staff seemed to liven up.
As usual, Joslin arrived at the diner just after seven pm. It was a little late, but perfect timing to sit at the counter and chat with the staff. Joslin had worked as a server through most of college. It was a lifestyle and a culture she loved, missed and very easily slid back into when the opportunity presented itself. When she'd first made friends with all of them, she'd actually waited tables on the fly during a seriously busy night. When she turned down compensation and handed her tips over to the busboy, Joslin won a spot in everyone's heart.
That Saturday night, Joslin ordered her usual dinner: a big juicy cheeseburger with fries and bottomless soda. Everything in moderation, including moderation, Joslin always said jokingly. She knew it was unbelievable that she could eat that for dinner and keep her figure in shape, but it was Saturday Cheeseburger Day, and Joslin celebrated every week. Habitual jogging kept everything else under control.
Harvey was working the counter area that evening. He was one of Joslin's favorites because his humor reminded her of her grandfather's. In fact, most everything about Harvey reminded Joslin of her grandfather, except for the fact that he was barely twenty-one years old. He wasn't an old soul, just a little on the fuddy-duddy side of things. He always seemed so dazzled when Joslin would sit down at the counter. It took a few insults for him to get back into the game, but Joslin normally got him laughing within a few minutes.
“You know what you guys can do for April Fool's Day?” Joslin asked Harvey with excitement.
“What's that?” he responded with a curious smile on his face.
“Take your newest employees and try to schedule them together. Tell each of them that the computers went out and you lost all records on inventory and you need them to count and record everything in the restaurant,” Joslin said, “I mean everything. Onions, tomatoes, lettuce heads, steaks, eggs, spoons, broom handles... broom bristles!”
Harvey laughed and shook his head. He stopped cleaning the counter for a minute, encouraging her to go on.
“Then,” Joslin continued, “when they're all done and they hand you the lists, look at them and say thanks and wish them a happy April Fool's Day! Then just walk away and refuse to address the entire event ever aga
in... It'll be great!”
Harvey let his laughter roll out across the restaurant. Everyone who glanced at them looked away with a little bit more happiness in their expression. Joslin continued munching her cheeseburger and Harvey finished cleaning the portion of counter top he'd been working on. He kept a smile on his face up until a very tall, very handsome man approached and took a seat just one barstool away from Joslin's.
It was as if the man’s presence deflated Harvey. He tilted his head to one side and leaned towards the cowboy. The man didn't wear a hat, but the dust on his jeans, the rips in his shirt and the scuffs on his boots gave him away.