Whatever the Price

by Jules Bennett

  Guilt struck him, constricting his heart. He knew his wife better sexually than emotionally. Oh, at one time he knew all the various levels of Charlotte, but now, well, now he wasn’t so sure.

  He was confident, though, that when it came to life, Charlotte still loved the simple things. And even that simple kiss had heated him in places that only she could touch. She’d always had a simplicity about her. She had basic wants, needs, desires. He intended to fulfill each of those and more during their time away.

  And there his mind went again to the sexual side of their relationship. Yes, they had amazing chemistry, but he wanted his wife to fall in love with him all over again. He wanted to win her heart, not just her body.

  While in Tahoe, he had some surprises for her. He knew just what to do to get her to let her guard down and relax. That’s one of the reasons he’d asked the staff to give them privacy. Charlotte needed for him to get back to the basics of their marriage when it was just the two of them and life was simple. By simple, he meant that she’d never craved the limelight, never wanted to go out and have all the plastic surgeries that nearly every woman in Hollywood had. She was perfect the way she was…at least in his eyes. He’d never been into silicone breasts, bee-stung lips or tattooed-on makeup.

  Which was why he’d had this home built just a few years back. They’d actually only been to the home twice together since it had been built, now that he thought of it. Sad, considering he wanted this to be for them to enjoy, but she’d been making trips alone.

  “So, I never asked about your appointment this morning.” He wanted her to talk, to discuss her life now. “How are things coming with the new medical wing at the Children’s Hospital?” he asked, unable to handle the silence any longer.

  “Quicker than I’d anticipated.” She continued to stare out the side window, but at least she was talking to him. “We’re hoping to have the ribbon-cutting ceremony in a couple of months.”

  “I’m sure they appreciate all you do for them,” he told her.

  On a sigh, Charlotte turned in her seat. “Anthony, you don’t have to pretend to be interested in my volunteer work. There’s no need to have strained conversations during this trip.”

  He shrugged. “I wasn’t straining for a conversation. I legitimately wanted to know about your work and the wing. What you do isn’t just important to you. I do care.”

  From the corner of his eye he saw her study him. He waited for her to say something.

  “You’ve never seemed interested before.”

  Risking a glance her way, he saw confusion on her face and cursed himself for being so self-absorbed. “A mistake I hope to rectify. I want to know what you do with your time when I’m gone. I’m proud of you, Charlie.”

  She turned to look back out the window, but not before he heard the hitch in her breath.

  “Something wrong?” he asked after another moment’s silence.

  “I’ve waited to hear you say that.” Her voice cracked. “For years, I’ve wanted you to take an interest in what I do, to understand how important it is to me.”

  She turned to face him. “I know you want to try, but I’m scared, Anthony. I can’t take more hurt if this doesn’t work out. Right now I can’t promise anything beyond these ninety days.”

  He let the matter drop, but there was no way in hell he’d ever give up. If it took letting her think she was in control, then so be it. But he knew in his heart that he had to take back the reins of this relationship or he’d lose her forever.

  Had he had that epiphany years ago, perhaps he wouldn’t be in this situation—an instant parent with a wife volleying between confusion and divorce.

  No way would he settle for a divorce. He’d never thought she’d leave him. He’d never considered the fact. He knew they had their share of problems, but what married couple didn’t?

  Obviously, the problems were bigger than he’d thought and the tabloids had picked up on that turmoil and run with it. They’d accused him of sleeping with his previous assistant, which had never happened. Mia had been more like a sister to him than anything. She was one amazing assistant, and he’d hated when she’d quit to go work for Olivia Dane. It was pure coincidence that he’d discovered Olivia was his birth mother around the same time. And pure bad luck that Mia had stumbled onto that information. He’d asked her to keep it to herself, which she had, but it couldn’t have been easy.

  But it turned out Olivia had known about him and kept tabs on him through the years. It warmed his heart to know that she’d watched his career grow.

  His one-time hatred of her son, now his brother, Bronson Dane, had to have been a heavy burden on her. Anthony wouldn’t go so far as to say he and Bronson were friends now, but they were civil to each other and Anthony was hoping for a miracle as far as this family was concerned.

  Bronson and Olivia were getting ready to begin working on Olivia’s biographical film, depicting her life from her early films to her final one. She had grace and elegance like no one else, and her timeless beauty made her the most famous Hollywood icon ever.

  And Anthony was champing at the bit to be the director.

  “What are you thinking?” Charlotte asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

  “About Olivia,” he answered, telling only part of the path his thoughts had traveled. “Just wondering how she handled all the public animosity between me and Bronson over the years. It couldn’t have been easy on her.”

  “It wasn’t easy on you, either,” she told him in a soft, sad voice. “I never brought it up because I didn’t think you wanted to talk about it.”

  “I’ll talk now.” He’d love to keep talking to her. He couldn’t recall the last time they’d just talked. Normally, when they were alone, they were naked or arguing. “That’s why we’re going away.”

  “I hope so,” she whispered.

  With him driving, naked wasn’t an option. And as for arguing, he wasn’t in the mood to disagree with her, because most of what she said since their split was true. He hadn’t been a good husband, at least not when it came to offering emotional support. As for monetary support, he knew no other man could’ve provided her with better things.

  But that thought circled him back around to the fact his Charlie wasn’t like most Hollywood debutantes. She didn’t care about shopping sprees and Botox. She cared about people, and that made her all the more special.

  She’d put her pride and her broken heart aside to give him ninety days because of Lily—that just proved that point. And he intended to make every moment count.

  * * *

  The second they pulled into the drive, Lily woke from her slumber.

  For the past few hours Charlotte had been battling pregnancy hormones and the mounting tension from Anthony’s attempt to play get-to-know-your-wife-in-twenty-questions.

  She didn’t want to feel uncomfortable in the same car as her husband. They’d shared a home, a life for nearly a decade, and now sharing a car ride had her stomach in knots.

  Though she’d like to blame that on the morning sickness she’d had earlier.

  Charlotte sighed and gazed out the window to the two-story “cabin.” There were so many rustic mansions in the Tahoe area. Everybody wanted a piece of the beautiful serenity and laid-back lifestyle.

  Well, everyone but her husband, who rarely came to Tahoe. She knew he’d initially had this place built for her…just another way to buy her love and affection. And while she wasn’t turning down the breathtaking home, she would give it up—together with the Hollywood Hills mansion—in a second if that meant Anthony would love her without throwing money around to prove it. When and if she saw an action that came straight from his heart, she’d know how much she meant to him. That would be the day she would reconsider their separation and pending divorce.

  Charlotte stared up at the second-story balco
ny that stretched across the length of the house. Three sets of patio doors led onto the balcony from each of the bedrooms, and Charlotte knew this would be the first time each of those bedrooms were occupied at the same time.

  The sound of Lily’s rattle shaking pulled Charlotte from thinking too much about being secluded with Anthony for two full weeks. Yet again, the priority had to be Lily and the baby she carried.

  “Here we are, Miss Lily,” Anthony said.

  Charlotte got out and went to retrieve the baby while Anthony pulled out all the bags. After slipping the new pink-and-gray-plaid designer diaper bag over her shoulder, Charlotte closed the door and took Lily up the stone steps to the house.

  “Maybe we can go swimming,” she told Lily. “Would you like that? Your mama used to love to swim. Once we came up here for a weekend together, just us girls. Maybe you and I can do that sometime.”

  Tears pricked her eyes, knowing that Rachel would never be here on another girls’ weekend again. They’d only been on one trip a year ago, and then Rachel had gotten pregnant. As much as they’d tried to plan more getaways, life kept interfering and one excuse turned into another. And now here Charlotte was with a lot of regrets and an innocent child. Why hadn’t she carved out more time for people and things that truly mattered?

  If there was one thing Charlotte learned from Rachel’s death, it was that she needed to live for today and live the life she wanted. And she wanted a life with Anthony, if only he could meet her halfway.

  Please let this trip bring about a miracle.

  “Can you get the key?”

  Charlotte turned to see Anthony struggling with a suitcase in each hand and one tucked under each arm.

  “Where is it?” she asked.

  “My right pocket.”

  She stood motionless as he cocked a hip out for her to reach it. “You’re kidding.”

  That smirk he’d thrown to so many cameras during interviews mocked her. “As you can see, my hands are full.”

  Charlotte closed the space between them and slid her hand into his pocket. “They’re not in there.”

  He let out a low, sultry laugh. “My mistake. Must be the other one.”

  She looked him in the eye. Humor lurked there, but that wasn’t the underlying emotion. Desire glared back at her, and Charlotte quickly thrust her hand in the other pocket and yanked the keys out.

  “Ow,” he said. “Be gentle.”

  Without letting him know how much his little game had affected her out-of-control hormones—damn hormones—she unlocked the door and turned off the alarm.

  “Here we are, sweetheart.” Charlotte glanced around the cozy home.

  All the oversized leather furniture in the sunken living room appeared inviting. The large patio doors that led out to the pool allowed the afternoon sun to beam through. The last time she’d been up here she’d been inspired to paint an early morning view of the lake, a piece that now hung near the doors.

  But it was the vase of fresh hydrangeas sitting on the squat coffee table between the sofas that caught her attention. From the doorway, she could see a card beside them.

  “I thought the staff was gone.” She turned to look at Anthony as he set the luggage inside the door.

  “They are. I had them do a few things before they took off.”

  A few things—the surprises he’d mentioned in the car? Charlotte wanted to ask what, but she knew she’d find out soon enough. She couldn’t help but let hope spread through her. He’d planned ahead, for her—that had her smiling and anticipating the next promised surprise. Holding tight to Lily, Charlotte eased toward the flowers and the card.

  “To new beginnings and our beautiful family.”

  She swallowed a lump as tears pricked her eyes. Her favorite flowers and a card from Anthony, and she’d only walked in the door. She was interested to see what else he had in store.

  “The flowers are beautiful. Thank you.”

  Anthony stepped down into the living area to stand beside her. “I mean what it says on the card. I want this to be a new beginning, Charlie. I want more than ninety days.”

  Tired from the car ride, tired from the pregnancy and tired of being at odds with her husband for so long, Charlotte yawned and rubbed her temple. “We just need to move cautiously, for everyone’s sake.”

  He nodded, studying her face. “Here, give me Lily. Why don’t you go lie down?”

  Lily was pulled from her arms before she could answer. “Um…okay.”

  Lily started to fuss, reaching for Charlotte. When Anthony stepped back, Lily let out a full-fledged scream, turning her little cherub face red.

  “Go,” he urged, patting the baby’s back. “I promise we’ll be fine. We need to get used to each other.”

  Charlotte hesitated, feeling guilty, but knowing he was right. He and Lily did have to get used to each other. At this point they had no other choice.

  “Promise you’ll come get me if she doesn’t calm down.”

  He lifted Lily up in the air and spun around in a circle, easing her wailing some, but not much.

  “I swear,” he promised. “If she gets out of control, I’ll come get you.”

  Charlotte nodded, kissed Lily on the cheek and headed toward one of the guest bedrooms. She’d give Anthony their master suite. Even though she loved that suite with its king-sized canopy bed and overly large, open shower, she wasn’t going to sleep in the same bed as her husband.

  But she had a feeling he would do everything he could to make sure she ended up there before their time in Tahoe was over.

  Six

  “So the flowers didn’t go over as well as I’d hoped, Lily Bug.”

  Anthony sat on the wooden swing on the back porch and swayed with his niece who had finally calmed down once he fed her a jar of puréed peaches and some of those puff snacks that smelled like sawdust.

  He’d only left the high chair in the kitchen a minor disaster and intended to clean it up later. Right now he was enjoying spending quality time with his niece.

  “I thought for sure the flowers would warrant a kiss on the cheek.”

  Lily stared up at him as he handed her more puff snacks. “You have no idea what I’m saying. As long as I keep feeding you, you’ll love me. I finally figured out how to make you like me.”

  He looked out beyond the pool, patio and lush garden to the lake. He’d have to step up his game plan if he wanted to gain ground during this getaway.

  He’d been surprised at how fast, and easy, it had been to call his new assistant and have her shuffle things around so he could provide Charlotte with the time away from Hollywood that she needed. That he needed, as well. He needed to stop letting agents and actors consume all his time. God knew he was powerful enough to be calling the shots.

  At the start of his career, he’d had to be available at all times to show how serious he was. But now, he knew, without being vain, that he was a big enough name that he could be choosy and clear his schedule whenever he wanted.

  “What do you think we should do next?” He handed Lily a couple more snacks, her slobbery fingers greedily scooping them from his palm. “I have to say, I’m going to need your help. She may find my tactics sneaky, but I’m desperate.”

  He leaned down right in Lily’s face. “But don’t tell her I said that.”

  With the sun beating down on them, Anthony decided to make use of the pool. He’d never really enjoyed all the amenities he’d paid for. Why hadn’t he made more time for the basics in life? Why hadn’t he whisked his wife away on a relaxing trip instead of making all his traveling about business?

  “Want to go swimming, Lily Bug?”

  This would be an experience. Once he changed into his suit in the pool house, he scooped her up, took her back inside and retrieved her suit from her little
suitcase with a monogrammed L on the front.

  “Let’s wrestle you into this,” he said. He pulled her clothes off and tugged the tight blue-and-white polka-dot suit up over her chunky little legs. Surprisingly, she only fussed for a minute. But when he held her up and inspected her he frowned.

  “Diaper or no diaper?”

  The image of floaties in his pool had him cringing. “Diaper,” he said to himself. “Definitely the diaper.”

  He went back to the pool house and slathered sunscreen all over her and even up into her wisps of dark hair. That much he knew. Sunscreen was a must for children. And just to be on the safe side, he topped her off with the hat that matched her suit.

  Holding on to her tightly, he stepped a foot into the refreshing water and eased in. Lily jerked her feet up once her toes connected with the cooler water. Her lip quivered as she sucked in a breath.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

  And he knew she was too young to realize he was referring to life.

  He splashed just a tad of the water up onto her legs to get her used to the temperature. “See? Isn’t this nice?”

  Walking around the shallow end, he occasionally bounced up and down so Lily could enjoy the water. Her initial whimpers soon turned to squeals and giggles and Anthony realized he’d never heard her do either of those things while he was holding her. So, food and pool—two things he could certainly handle. Praise God, a miracle had happened. If only Charlie were that easy to win over.

  He hadn’t realized how fun, how life-changing—in a positive way—a baby could be. So far, this experience of being a father was not as scary as he’d first thought. Remorse swept over him as he thought of all the times he’d used work as an excuse to keep his life a children-free zone.

  He kept up the playfulness, wanting to hear more of her beautiful sounds…sounds Rachel was missing. She was missing all the happy faces, the muttering of wannabe words.