by Liz Kelly
She had become that girl Miss Adams was talking about, and poor Vance, her best fantasy come to life, was now reduced to being her inadvertent victim.
She heard the door to her hospital room open and close softly. “Daddy?” she said, rolling to her back and pushing her hair out of her eyes.
“I guess that fits,” Vance said, coming to stand at the end of her bed.
There he stood, sporting all his Hollywood good looks in another freaking Armani suit. And he wasn’t ranting and raving about the terrible injustice done to him, but staring at her with the sweetest, saddest little smile she ever saw.
She promptly burst into tears.
“Piper, baby doll,” he said, coming around to the side of the bed opposite her IV. He took a handkerchief out of his coat pocket, sat on the bed, and handed it to her. The thought that he actually carried a linen handkerchief made her cry even harder. Only millionaires did that.
She found herself pulled up into his arms but, with her running nose and drippy face, she was worried about messing him up. So she pushed him away and blotted her face with the cloth. He stroked the hair back from her face, picked up the Styrofoam cup of ice water from the bedside table, and held the straw to her lips, encouraging her to take a sip.
“How did you find out?” she asked, sniffling.
“Just the way I’d always imagined. A big ape of a dude threw me enough clues that the truth finally sank into my thick skull. After which I promptly threw up.”
“You did?” She couldn’t help but smile through her tears at that. “That’s pretty much how I found out too and exactly how I reacted.”
They laughed together until it faded into quiet.
“Vance,” she said softly, rubbing her hand over his, staring at his knuckles, “don’t ask me to marry you.”
“Oh, baby doll, you don’t ever have to worry about that,” he said.
It wasn’t just his words that shocked her, but how he said them with such conviction. She simply had to look up to see his face.
His voice softened. “Is having my baby such a repugnant idea?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why do you keep trying to throw him up?”
She laughed and cried and laid herself back against her pillow, not letting his hand go. “Him?”
“Vance, Jr.”
She smiled, liking the idea. He smiled back, and for a brief moment Piper felt happy.
“Are you runnin’ out on me?” Vance asked quietly, teasing a curl with one of his fingers. His eyes didn’t quite meet hers, and his voice dripped with vulnerability. It about broke her heart.
“No. No, Vance, I’m not. I just didn’t know how to tell you I was pregnant.”
“Because you didn’t think I’d be happy?”
“Because I thought you’d think I’d done it on purpose.”
Vance cocked his head and quirked a brow. “Why would I think that?”
“Because you told me you were a millionaire. And then I told you that you didn’t have to wear a condom.”
“Ahhh,” Vance smiled, light bulbs going on behind his eyes. “So you thought I would believe you were trying to entrap me.”
“Yes. But not just you. All of Henderson is going to believe I’m trying to entrap you.”
“What the hell are we worried about Henderson for?”
“You live there. People talk.”
“Baby doll, people have been talking about me for years. Women have been tellin’ me I don’t need to wear a condom for years. I am not the fool you apparently think I am.”
“You know I don’t think you’re a fool.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me right away? Why didn’t you just say ‘Vance, we are going to need to speed this thing up because Vance, Jr. is planning to make an appearance sooner rather than later?’”
Piper responded with a choked chuckle. “I was scared.”
“About what?”
“About losing you. About you not wanting this baby.”
“How could I not—? Piper, you know I love you. I practically spelled out my plans for our future when I described my ideas for a big house with lots of rooms and a huge kitchen. Of course I want this baby. I want this one, two more boys, plus at least one tiny little Piperette.”
Piper began to cry all over again.
“Go ahead and cry. Cry all you want, I don’t care,” Vance insisted. “Because you, Perfect Piper, have solved my biggest dilemma.”
“Really?” she said, wiping her eyes. “And what was that?”
“How long was I gonna have to wait to slip this on your finger?” Vance reached into the interior pocket of his suit and pulled out a ring with an oval diamond the size of Piper’s thumbnail. And if that wasn’t enough to make her swallow her tongue, it was flanked by two other enormous triangular diamonds. “We aren’t getting any younger you know.”
“Vance. It’s—it’s.”
“I know.”
“It’s…perfect.”
“I know.”
“No. I mean….”
“I know.” He kissed her and slid it on her finger. “It’s the one you wanted.”
“It is,” she said in amazement, holding her hand up and admiring the crazy big diamond. “Only bigger.”
“I’m a millionaire. Figured this was a good time to start spending my money.”
“But you said you weren’t going to ask me to marry me you.”
“Oh, baby doll, I’m not askin’. I’m insisting. Pinks!”
Davis Williams, dressed in a suit, opened the door to Piper’s hospital room and stuck his brown head in. “Yes, sir?”
“What’s the ETA?”
Pinks looked at his watch. “The Vance County official should be here shortly. Brooks, Lolly, Jesse, and The Big Em are an hour out but have everything you requested in tow. Duncan and Annabelle are here sitting next to me.
“Can I come in?” Annabelle hollered.
“No!” Vance barked. “Pinks, what about the magistrate?”
“Officer Stevenson is working on it.”
Vance turned to Piper. “Baby doll, you got a judge in your back pocket?”
“Do I what?” Piper choked. “Of course I don’t have a judge in my back pocket.”
“But do you have one that would like to perform your wedding on short notice?”
“My…? Vance, you can’t be serious.”
“I assure you. I am completely serious. Oh, shit. Pinks!”
“Yeah?”
“We need Piper’s father.”
“Annabelle is already on it. He’s on his way.”
“Now can I come in?” Annabelle asked.
“Jesus Christ,” Vance said quietly. Then more loudly, “Just give me another minute, and I’ll hand her over to you.”
Squealing ensued. Pinks closed the door.
Vance angled his head, looking at Piper, waiting for her reaction.
She was dazed, still digesting what was happening. Vance certainly didn’t appear to be unhappy about the pregnancy. She looked down at her beautiful engagement ring—so similar to the picture she’d posted on Pinterest—at the same time remembering having wondered how Vance Evans knew about lava stone countertops. She cleared her throat. “When did you buy this?” she asked.
“Best question ever,” Vance said, reaching into his suit pocket again and pulling out a folded piece of paper. It was folded so that only the name and address of the jeweler and purchase date were visible. Piper read it. He’d bought it in New York. Had already purchased it before he’d shown up at Collins & Reese and handcuffed her. Vance Evans had bought her an engagement ring before he'd told her he was a millionaire and before they had made love the very first time.
“Mitchell Frederick Ford.”
“Excuse me?”
“The judge who will perform our wedding on short notice. Judge Ford. He’ll jump right into this craziness and enjoy himself doing it.”
Vance smiled. “Pinks!”
“I’m on it,” he ye
lled through the door.
“Damn eavesdroppers.”
“I love you,” Piper said.
“That’s working out really well for me today,” Vance said. “Now I’m gonna let Annabelle, The Debutante Maker in here to create a bride out of all this mess sitting in front of me,” he said, leaning in to kiss her wet face. “When you’re feelin’ better, and Dad and Genevra are back from their honeymoon, we’ll throw ourselves a fancy reception. We’ll invite all your friends and the entire police force in Raleigh. But right now, we’re going to take care of the important part. So we don’t waste one more minute having to find our way back to each other ever again.”
All Piper could do was smile. And cry.
Vance stood up from the bed and drew his hand lovingly over her curls one more time. Then he turned and walked purposefully toward the door barking a Bad Cop order over his shoulder. “Now stop trying to throw up Vance, Jr!”
Chapter Thirty-Four
It’s always good to know people in high places.
Between the ten friends and relatives who now stood in the presidential suite of Memorial Hospital, they collectively knew enough of them to have upgraded Piper’s room, drummed up a marriage license, a magistrate, a House of DuVal bridal ensemble complete with bouquet, and buckets of yellow roses with which to decorate. Even Jesse James had lived up to his title of The Outlaw by stealing the top of Hale and Genevra's wedding cake out of their freezer. Now defrosting, it sat on a round table in the corner, waiting to be devoured.
Piper, who was getting dressed behind a large screen of drawn curtains, had been given a short reprieve from her IV. She insisted she was feeling far more giddy than she was nauseous. Vance figured that boded well for the short but important ceremony that would bind her to him legally.
Bind her to him…legally.
Only legally.
Legally was good, he assured himself. And since he had the good fortune to get her pregnant, she was now bound to him through “Vance, Jr.” forever more.
Yeah, this is, you know, perfect, he told himself as his heart started to pound and blood rushed to his head.
So then, why the hell am I having a panic attack?
“Third Base? You okay?”
Good ol’ Brooks. Sees all and knows all.
“Yeah. No. I mean, I’m good.”
“You’re not good. You look like you’re the one with morning sickness. Let’s take a walk.”
“No. No. I’m….” Vance finally looked his buddy in the eye. He wasn’t fine. He was far from fine. “Yeah, okay, let’s take a walk.”
“Ladies,” Brooks said to the room at large, “we’re gonna give you a few minutes to get things in order. Gentlemen,” he called to Pinks, Jesse, and Duncan, “how ’bout it?” He motioned for them to follow.
When they gathered in the hallway, Duncan looked between Vance and Brooks and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Brooks said nonchalantly, trying his best to divert everyone’s attention away from the sweat breaking out on Vance’s brow. “But since this is the last time the three of us will be together as bachelors and since we didn’t have a chance to throw a proper bachelor party, one round of shots seems appropriate.”
Duncan nodded though he was clearly concerned by Vance’s demeanor.
“Pinks, Jesse, I need you two to stay here in case Annabelle needs anything. We’ll bring you both back a beer for your trouble,” Brooks said, his big hand on Vance’s shoulder.
“We’re gonna need a groom,” Pinks said, deliberately eyeing Vance. “Cold feet or no, you don’t set all this up and then run out on the bride,” he insisted.
As if!
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Vance pulled back to take a swing at Pinks.
Brooks caught Vance’s arm and threw his weight against him as The Outlaw scrambled in between Vance and Pinks, separating the two of them. The two who had become so close in such a short time and who were normally so in sync. Vance and Pinks stood seething at one another.
“I know what I’m talking about,” Pinks growled. “You still aren’t able to separate the best thing that’s happened to you from the worst.”
Vance turned away unable to look Pinks in the eye.
“Are you?” The Ninja pressed, making Vance face all of his demons.
“Well, you know what? Piper deserves more than that. So, go get your shot,” Pinks suggested as if he was writing Vance off for good. “And don’t come back until you know with certainty that that sweet little blonde, who has forgiven you more times than you deserve and who has repeatedly walked back into your life, has absolutely nothing in common with the woman who gave you birth. You are doing Piper a disservice if you worry for one moment that she’d ever do that to you or your baby. That is not who she is, and you know it.”
He did. He knew it. And hearing Pinks say it opened a safety valve somewhere inside him allowing all the fight and panic to rush out. Brooks must have felt it too, because he let him go.
“You’re right,” Vance told Pinks, looking at him directly. “You’re right, and I’m sorry I exploded but here’s the whole of it. I didn’t give Piper a choice with this marriage business. I just marched in, laid down the law, and told her we were getting married.”
“A very bad cop move,” Brooks said with a grin.
“Bad Cop gets ’em every time,” Pinks chimed in with a wink.
“Jesus,” Vance said. “What the hell kind of alternative universe have I created?”
“The kind where everything is finally working out for you,” Duncan said. “You still need that shot?”
Vance shook his head “no” and wiped at his brow. “Besides, what’s a shot without Harry serving them up? And I’m sure somewhere in our alternative universe, a post-civil-ceremony bachelor party must exist. Hell,” he said with a short laugh, “if I can find Piper Beaumont, knock her up, and get her to marry me, let’s face it, anything is possible.”
Vance had to admit that if he could bottle what Annabelle Devine could do for a hospital room and a woman—turning them both into extraordinary works of art—he would never have to work again. Of course, where would the fun be in that? he wondered as The Outlaw’s iPod began to play Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.
Really? he thought. On his iPod? This circle of masterminds he’d collected was a gift that just kept on giving.
And as he watched his bride walk to him on her father’s arm, Vance vowed that if his mother ever did cross his path again he would simply say thank you. Because staring at the little girl who saved him all those years ago, and now loving the woman she’d grown up to be, he understood Piper was the precious gift his mother had inadvertently left in her wake.
He hadn’t realized it at the time. Didn’t grasp the importance when the thought had first occurred to him that night in his truck with his arm around Piper. But he realized it now as he took her hand and gazed into her baby blue eyes. He sure realized it now.
Everything had always been working out for him.
“I love you,” he said as his fingertips sought the ends of her veil, lifting it to reveal the face of his dewy-eyed blonde with those sweet pink cheeks. Annabelle worked from behind to arrange the blusher over Piper’s curls as Vance did the one thing he’d told Piper she’d never have to worry about.
“Will you marry me?” he asked. But before Piper could respond he cut her off and asked it another way. “Do you want to marry me?”
“I do!” She beamed. “I have since fourth grade.”
“Then forgive me for keeping you waiting.” He leaned over and kissed her on the nose. “Judge Ford,” Vance said, turning to the man. “You’re on.”
Thank you for reading Bad Cop. I sure hope you enjoyed it.
If you’d like to leave a review you can write your review for Bad Cop here.
And if you loved Good Cop and want others to find the Heroes of Henderson series please leave your review for
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Your efforts are very much appreciated.
Now take a look at what's happening in Henderson now…
Taming Molly
Heroes of Henderson Book 2.5
A DuVal Cousins Quickie
Buy Now
and
Top Dog
Heroes of Henderson Book 3
Available For Pre-order Now
(Release date is 11/18/2014)
Read on for sneak peeks.
A 20,000 word novella where you finally get to meet Lolly’s cousin, Molly.
Henderson's infamous Molly DuVal is desperate to move back home. Banished for the past five years, she plans to use her aunt’s wedding to show the Henderson elite that she is no longer the boy crazy, wild, party-girl exhibitionist they all loved to gossip about.
Yeah. Good luck with that.
Josh McCourt, mild-mannered AP Computer Science teacher and newest assistant coach to Henderson High's football team, is ready to break away from his low-key image and take a walk on the wild side. He’s looking for the type of girl who’d sneak into the boy’s locker room after practice and let him chase her around.
He’s looking for Molly.
When the bad-girl-turned-good faces off with the good-boy-looking-for-bad at the town’s biggest wedding, all of Henderson is watching from the sidelines. This is one game both Molly and Josh are determined to win.
Taming Molly is a fun and sexy 20,000 word stand-alone novella and the first in the DuVal Cousins Quickie series.
Buy Now
The Heroes of Henderson Series continues with
Top Dog
Heroes of Henderson ~ Book 3
Coming in 2014
Crain Carraway, Dallas business tycoon and sports fanatic, is not from Henderson. But his wife is. Although no one knows that because she managed to get cold feet after their impromptu Vegas wedding. Hiding out in her hometown, she’s sicked her lawyer on him, doing her best to buy his silence and a quickie divorce.