“I agree,” Barrett stated. He was already turning his vehicle around when he decided to fly instead. He needed to find Freddy before her father did.
*****
“You will make a lovely bride,” the seamstress enthused, caught up in her part of the ceremony. “Why, aren’t you just delighted?”
“No.”
“Freddy, is that any way to speak? Your seamstress is going to get the wrong impression.”
“Don’t expect me to pretend that I am happy about this farce of a wedding Father.”
“I thought we agreed that you would smile in order to spare Collins pain? Of course, if you wish to be difficult…?”
“No, I won’t be difficult,” she rushed to say. The man she thought loved her was nothing but a mean, sadistic bastard. He was holding Barrett prisoner and promised to kill him unless she went along with the wedding that would unite two financial empires into one. Freddy had no choice. She would marry as she promised, but once she was positive that Barrett was safe and out of her father’s clutches, she would create such a scandal her father would never live it down. It was exactly what he deserved for denying her the happiness she wanted.
She heard the music start and closed her eyes against the pain that threatened to break her heart in two. At most she had fifteen minutes before her father would walk her down the aisle.
“Hurry, we must switch right away!” The seamstress started pulling at the fastenings on her dress. Freddy didn’t have a clue about what was happening, but she sensed the urgency in the other woman’s movements and hurried to help her. “You must go and do not be afraid. Your love awaits as mine does for me.”
“I don’t understand,” Freddy said.
“Barrett is downstairs. Go to him. I will marry this man, as we have dreamed of this day for so long. No one will know until it is too late.”
Freddy didn’t argue. Somehow she knew that everything would be alright. Barrett was waiting for her exactly where the seamstress said he would be. “Barrett, Father said he would kill you if I didn’t obey him and marry… How can you be here safe?”
“Because he never had me in the first place,” he answered. “You played right into his hands, Freddy, and this wouldn’t have happened if you’d obeyed me.”
In spite of his scolding tone he held her close and kissed her tenderly. “You are unharmed?”
“I am fine… now,” she replied. She sat beside him on the seat of the SUV, and held his hand as he drove away from the hotel where the wedding was to be held. She couldn’t believe she was free and safely away with the man she loved. To her surprise, they didn’t leave for the ranch as she suspected they would. Instead, Barrett drove them to the airport and they were on a private flight a few minutes later. Once they were in the air, Barrett turned to look at Freddy and she swallowed hard. He was going to spank her!
“Barrett, I am so sorry I behaved foolishly. Thank you for rescuing me again.”
“You drugged Adele and Randy,” he said, his voice low and all the more frightening because he was being so quiet.
“Yes, I did. It was wrong,” she admitted. “I’m sorry.”
“Adele was beside herself with worry. She was afraid I wouldn’t get to you in time.”
“It wasn’t her fault that I did something so foolish. The blame for what almost happened belongs to me alone. I wanted to prove I was right, but I quickly learned that I was wrong. Father was waiting for just the opportunity to get me alone, and he snatched ne up. He said he had you and that he would hurt you if I didn’t do as he wanted. Each time I dared to open my mouth, he would have you tortured. I don’t know who he was tormenting, but it wasn’t you! I wouldn’t have agreed to the wedding except that he promised to release you if I did as I promised.”
“I know all of that, young lady. And just what do you think is going to happen now? You disobeyed me and Fred very nearly pulled off this wedding he was so determined to have. I think a spanking is called for, don’t you?”
“I don’t want a spanking, but I know I’ve earned one,” she answered truthfully. “Please just tell me that you will forgive me, Barrett! I can stand anything if I know that you still love me as much as I love you.”
“I love you, Freddy, and you are about to find out just how much.” Barrett undid their seat belts and in the next minute Freddy found herself lying over his lap. The dress she was wearing was tossed up to reveal her bottom, sans panties of any kind. “No panties at all?” he demanded, stunned.
“I knew that I would be in this position before the day was over, darling, and I knew they would only be in the way. I’ll try to be good now, but please don’t spank hard. I really am very sorry, and I give my word to be very agreeable.”
“I give my word to make your bottom very hot and very sore, Fredrika.” There was no more discussion, just the sound of his hand coming down on her bared butt in spanks meant to sting and chastise. Barrett didn’t go easy on her simply because she was sorry. In fact, he spanked long and hard to release her of the guilt she was feeling, and to remind himself that she was safe in his arms. When he did stop, Freddy threw her arms around his neck and sobbed as if her heart was breaking. “It’s all right now, honey. You are forgiven and safe. Will you marry me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she quickly agreed. At last she was going to get her way, and once she was safely wed to Barrett, her father would have to forego his plans for her.
The ceremony was short, but all the more beautiful for its simplicity. Freddy wore a simple dress and adorned her long hair with flowers. She and Barrett wrote their own vows and exchanged plain gold bands as a symbol of their undying love. Afterwards, he swept her up into his strong arms and carried her to the small house he’d rented in the south of France.
Making love was beautiful and Freddy was positive she would never get enough of her husband. He was gentle with her, and treated her with love and respect, making sure that her first time was everything she’d hoped it would be. He allowed her to touch him and explore his body as much as she desired, and in return, he pleasured her in ways she’d never dreamed possible. When their bodies were exhausted, they talked of many things.
She learned that he played piano well enough that he’d considered a career as a concert pianist. He learned that she wrote children’s books and was quite good at it and not at all dependent on her Dad’s income. She learned that Barrett was no pauper and that he owned the ranch and several other properties around the world. He discovered that she loved dogs and wanted to fill a house with them. Most important of all, they discovered that they couldn’t get enough of each other.
.
*****
“Oh my goodness, Barrett! Come and read this article!” his new bride exclaimed with a laugh that sounded like music to his ears.
He obligingly took the newspaper from her hands and read aloud: “In an amazing whirlwind turn of events, Fredrika Jamison, heiress to the Jamison Hotel and Casino chain left Gregory Tucker standing at the altar to elope with Barrett Collins, a former employee of her father’s. What is even more astonishing is that Tucker married his childhood sweetheart, French seamstress, Beatrice Beaumont, who was wearing the gown she created for Fredrika Jamison! It was reported that Fred Jamison and George Tucker were both unavailable for comment.”
“Can you believe it? Did Gregory know he was marrying Beatrice?” she asked of her husband.
“No! He had to remain convincing and the only way for that to happen was by not telling him. Beatrice was to tell him just before they spoke their vows and it was too late for your father and Gregory’s father to protest and halt the ceremony. I would have given anything to see the look on their faces when they realized they’d been outsmarted.”
“Thank you for coming for me, darling.”
“It was my pleasure, sweet wife.”
*****
“Hello, sweet wife. How do you feel?” Barrett asked, looking into her lovely green eyes and smiling.
“I’m a bit tir
ed, but it doesn’t matter. Is he alright?” she asked, reaching out to take the tiny, perfect little fingers in her hand.”
“He is doing great, sweetheart. He has your fiery red hair,” he announced. “And your temper,” he added, chuckling. He did not like his first bath.”
“Oh, poor baby.”
“Poor baby is fine, honey.” He looked down at his son and smiled. “Have we settled on his name?”
“I like the name of Michael Barrett Collins,” he shared aloud.
“So do I, darling.”
There was a commotion in the hallway outside their room and Fred Jamison filled the doorway.
“What are you doing here, Fred?” Barrett stood as if to protect his wife and infant son from the man’s imposing presence.”
“I want to see my daughter and grandson,” he explained. “You look so pretty, Freddy,” he said humbly. “May I hold him?” he asked.
“If you try to leave this room with him you’ll never see him again,” Barrett promised.
“I won’t do that,” he promised, and then sat on the edge of the bed to hold baby Michael. “He looks like you when you were born, Freddy. All this red hair. He’s precious.”
“Does this visit mean that we are forgiven?” she asked cautiously. It had been two years since she’d set eyes on the man and she was unsure what to make of him right now.
“It is the other way around, daughter. I am the one who needs to ask forgiveness. I acted like a damned fool. I’ve kept tabs on you, though, and I was there if you needed me. Now, I need you and this little man.” He leaned down to kiss the baby’s cheek.
“What are you doing here, Fred?” Freddy’s mother asked as she entered the hospital room, tottering precariously on her high heels. “Come to Grandmother, precious one. How do we do the sign up thingy for dates, darling? I want to be a good granny.”
“I thought you didn’t want to be a grandmother, Mom?”
“Nonsense! Whoever told you such nonsense?”
“You did,” Freddy replied, giggling.
“Oh, I’d probably been out partying the night before, but a baby has to have his Granny.”
“This is my time, Clarice,” Fred argued as Barrett’s Mom came into the room.
“Oh, is this our little darling?” She leaned over to look at him and then said, “He is the spitting image of you, Barrett, dear!” There was some friendly wrangling, and Barrett could see his wife was very pleased to have her parents there to accept her newborn son. She’d expected that little Michael would only have one grandparent that cared about him, but it appeared he would have all the attention he could handle.
Barrett allowed the grandparents a few more minutes to worship their new grandson and then he sent them on home, claiming Freddy needed to rest, and promising they could visit again soon. “I truly hope that whatever they have it isn’t contagious, son. Your Mama and I will protect you,” he said, tongue-in-cheek.
Freddy giggled and looked up at Barrett to smile at him. “You are going to make a wonderful father, husband of mine.”
“I’ll try my very best,” he promised. “I am the luckiest man in all of the world. I have a lovely wife and now a son. I’m happy, Freddy. I love you with all my heart.” He leaned down to gently kiss her and smiled to himself. “Unanticipated complications” were how Freddy was first described to him over two years ago, and he wouldn’t change a thing.
The End.
Unanticipated Complications Page 5