Anthony sipped his scotch. He knew exactly how humble and giving—make that forgiving—his wife was.
“The way she hosts parties for the staff in your lovely home,” she went on. “It’s always such a shame you’re away on business when she has them. I know many of the staff here would love to thank you as well for allowing us to steal so much of your wife’s time.”
His wife’s time. The time when he’d been gone and she’d filled the void. At least something positive had come from his absence over the years. Unfortunately, she’d probably made excuse after excuse as to why he was never in attendance and she’d more than likely done so with a beautiful smile on her face, all while her heart had been breaking.
“Yes, that’s her,” he added because standing silent only made him look like an idiot. “She’s always so giving with her time and money.”
“Oh, and a few months ago when she sent one of our terminal patients to Disney with her family—that was so amazing. Make-A-Wish hadn’t been able to get her, and Charlotte stepped right up to make that little girl’s dream come true.”
Anthony watched as Charlotte turned, looking around the room and zeroing in on him. She threw him a smile that warmed him, but he couldn’t help wondering just how much his wife had done in her life while he’d been off living his. If she’d tried to tell him, had he listened? God, what a selfish prick he’d been.
Their trip to Tahoe had proven to him just how much he’d missed her, how much he needed her. But this moment, tonight, proved to him just how much he admired her, respected her.
“You two are lucky to have each other,” Susan went on. “My Eddie passed three years ago this December. I always tell young couples in love to cherish every moment. You just never know when the moment will pass. Oh, and congratulations on the babies!”
Anthony turned back to Susan and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Charlotte has talked about how sweet Lily is. I can’t wait to see her. And with Charlotte’s glowing pregnancy and her love of children, she’s going to be an amazing mother.”
He glanced across the room once again as Charlotte smiled, talking to a doctor.
“Yes, she is,” he agreed. “I’m one lucky man.”
Susan patted his arm again. “Well, I need to go see some other people, but I wanted to introduce myself and just let you know how much we appreciate everything you and your wife have done for our children.”
“My pleasure,” he told her with a smile.
As the CEO wove her way through the round tables, he wanted to know more. He wanted to know just how big an impact his wife had had here, but he had a feeling he already knew.
She’d thrown herself into her work, just as she did with everything else in life. Her whole heart had led her here and she continued to put others’ needs ahead of her own.
Drawn to that love she so freely gave, he made his way across the open lobby, stopping to say hi to several people along the way. By the time he got to his wife, she was chatting with a group of ladies, and the soothing tone of her laughter warmed him like nothing else could.
Setting his empty glass on the high tabletop, he eased his hand on her bare back and thanked the wardrobe god who’d persuaded Charlotte to wear the strapless, knee-length, white chiffon dress. She’d said it was the only dress that was dressy, comfortable and with an empire waist to accommodate her swollen waistline. Whatever the reasons, Anthony was grateful because there wouldn’t be much to unwrap her from once they returned home.
“Evening, ladies.” The slight tremble from Charlotte beneath his hand had him even more anxious to get her home. “Mind if I steal my lovely wife for a moment?”
A chorus of of course went around, but Anthony was already steering Charlotte away from the group and toward the dimly lit hallway. He had no idea where it led, but he did know that no one was occupying it and that’s all that mattered.
“Anthony,” she protested. “We’re being rude.”
He pulled her into a doorway, away from the lights, away from the crowd, and backed her against the wall, capturing her lips.
Immediately her arms circled around his neck, her small clutch hitting his back as she opened her mouth, taking him in.
Anthony slid his hands over her waist, loving the feel of her body, now all lush and curvier. She drove him insane with want and he wondered how much longer they had to remain at the ceremony now that the dinner and speeches were over.
Charlotte moved one hand to his chest and pushed just enough to have him lifting his mouth from hers.
“Something turn you on in there?” she asked with a grin on her swollen, moist lips.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Yeah, my amazingly sexy, caring, compassionate wife who just so happens to be glowing with the pregnancy of our child.”
“I’m sweating, that’s the glow.” She laughed. “Seriously, what happened? You’d been mingling since my speech, then you talk to Susan and now you’re devouring me…not that I’m complaining.”
He caged her in with his arms on either side of her face. “I realized how giving you are to other people. I knew you were perfect for me, but when I hear so much praise from others, I’m just so proud that you’re mine.”
Charlotte’s eyes darted down, then back up. “There’s nothing to be proud of, Anthony. I love what I do. I love these kids, and anything I can do to make them happier is more than enough for me.”
Anthony gently kissed her lips. “That’s why you’re so amazing.”
“I couldn’t sit by and do nothing,” she told him. “Not when there are so many children in need who either have poor health insurance or none at all. They all deserve to have healthy lives.”
Anthony smiled. “The people you’ve touched—the children here, the staff, Lily. Me.” He slid his hands up her bare arms and cupped her shoulders. “You’ve put a light into all our lives, and I don’t think you realize how brightly you shine.”
Charlotte cupped his cheek, stroking his jaw with her thumb. “I’ve never heard such pretty words from you. You always keep your emotions so bottled up inside.”
“I didn’t mean to choose to let it all out here,” he confessed. “I just couldn’t contain my love for you, the pride I have and how anxious I am to get to know even more of you in our next fifty years together.”
Charlotte’s eyes welled with unshed tears. “How long can you keep going with the charm?”
“For the rest of your life,” he told her, capturing her lips once again.
Nineteen
“I can’t believe the hearing is tomorrow,” Charlotte said, propping her feet up and rubbing her swollen belly. “Lily will be officially ours.” Holding the phone between her ear and her shoulder, she smiled as she watched Lily playing on the floor with her set of colorful blocks.
Already three months had passed since Anthony had begged her to help. And now here they were, on the road to a happier marriage with two babies.
“I can’t leave New York until tomorrow morning, so I’ll have to meet you at the courthouse,” Anthony told her. “I have a meeting with Bronson and a couple of the actors and their agents before I can leave. We’re just finalizing everything. Looks like the project is going just as we all hoped. Olivia is really anxious to get started.”
Charlotte swallowed the niggling of fear that crept up at this turn in the conversation: he was talking movies and not about gaining permanent guardianship of his niece tomorrow.
“I felt the baby move today,” she told him. “At least I think that’s what it was. The feeling was the same as the description in my pregnancy books.”
“That’s great, Charlie. Listen, I need to run. We’re on our way out the door for dinner. I’ll meet you at the courthouse tomorrow. Love you, babe.”
And then he was gone.
Charlotte sta
red at the handset, unsure of what to think. She knew he was excited about this film, the one he’d waited for for so long. But at the same time, they’d gone to a few therapy sessions, they’d had a breakthrough in Tahoe and the night of the Children’s Hospital wing dedication, and she’d thought they were really on the right path.
But in the week he’d been in New York, he’d only called twice to check in. In his defense, she knew he’d be busy. This was the biggest film he or Bronson had ever done, and because it was depicting their mother, they were pulling out all the stops to make this the greatest production.
Lily let out a squeal and knocked over her blocks, clapping at the colorful mess she’d created.
Charlotte joined Lily on the floor and started the rebuilding game so Lily could knock them down again.
“I feel like you’re ours already,” she told Lily. “Tomorrow it’s official. You’re going to be the best big sister.”
Lily stared up at her, chewing on a red block, drool covering her fingers as she sucked.
“I think you’re getting some teeth.”
Charlotte tried to concentrate on the blocks, on the fact that in less than twenty-four hours Lily would be theirs legally, and that in five months they would welcome another baby.
But it was impossible to block out the worry that had settled in. She only hoped that when Anthony returned home tomorrow, they would continue this upward climb together.
For the past few months they’d grown stronger together and had constructed a firmer foundation for their marriage. The stability she’d been missing for most of her life had been slowly worked in, and Anthony was definitely the reason. He’d been so attentive, so eager to meet the needs of “his girls,” as he called them. She’d seen him ask his assistant to take more control over his emails and phone calls so he could concentrate more on family life.
But now that he was back into project mode, would this last?
She would be able to tell tomorrow when she saw him at the courthouse. She hated they couldn’t arrive together, but they would enter the courtroom together, putting up a united front for Lily.
“That’s right.” She leaned over and kissed Lily on the head. “Uncle Anthony and I are going to be there for you, Lily Bug. No matter what.”
* * *
“What the hell do you mean we have to reroute?”
Anthony knew that if his pilot rerouted around the storm that had settled over much of the Midwest, he’d never make it to the hearing in time.
Rerouting wasn’t even an option as far as he was concerned.
“Sir, I tried to explain when we were leaving New York that there was a terrible windstorm right in our flight path.”
Dammit. Anthony slapped his seat and rose to pace the luxury cabin. Yes, his pilot had told him they needed to reroute initially, but Anthony had forced him to fly on the scheduled route.
“Can we keep going and get above the storm?” Anthony asked, hopeful.
No way could he miss this court hearing. This had to be done together, not for legal reasons, but for the principle. He and Charlotte needed to be united for Lily and he wanted to be there for this monumental day in their family life. The day Lily became legally and officially theirs. He’d promised Charlotte he wouldn’t let work keep him from this hearing, and he couldn’t let her down. Not when they were finally in a good place again.
“I can try to keep on course, sir,” his pilot said from the entry to the cockpit. “But you’ll need to stay seated and fasten your seat belt. It could get bumpy and I can’t make any guarantees.”
Anthony nodded. “Do what you can.”
He didn’t want to risk their safety, but, if at all possible, he wanted them to keep going. Mother Nature was fickle and she changed so often. This storm could vanish or move in another direction.
Anthony had known about the unfavorable weather before takeoff, but he hadn’t called Charlotte to tell her about a possible delay for two reasons: one, it was so early in L.A. when he’d departed that he didn’t want to wake her, and, two, he didn’t want to unnecessarily upset her if he could indeed arrive on time.
He took his seat once again, tightening his belt and praying they would arrive safely and on time in L.A. He had to make that court hearing. Years of letdowns had nearly murdered their marriage. How would she react if he wasn’t there by her side on one of the most important days of their life?
* * *
“The judge is ready for you in his chambers, Mrs. Price.”
Charlotte glanced toward the doorway once again, and once again it was still empty. Anthony wasn’t showing.
A sick feeling came over her. He’d gotten caught up with his career. The old Charlotte wouldn’t have been surprised, but the new Charlotte—the one who’d given the new Anthony the benefit of the doubt—was shocked. She hated herself for placing so much stock in how well he seemed to be adjusting to being the perfect family man. More than likely he’d lost track of time with his morning meeting and had taken off late…that is, if he’d left at all.
He hadn’t even called her cell to tell her, and when she’d tried to reach him, it had gone straight to voice mail.
“Mrs. Price?” the clerk called again. “If you’re ready.”
Charlotte pasted on a smile, shifted Lily on her hip and shouldered the diaper bag. “Yes, we’re ready.”
This was not at all how she’d pictured this day going. As Charlotte entered the judge’s chambers, she couldn’t believe she was doing this alone. They’d come so far to have this backslide.
But right now she would not feel sorry for herself that once again she was being pushed aside for business. She would concentrate on Lily—this sweet, precious bundle who needed a good life, a good, stable home. And Charlotte vowed, no matter what, she would provide that.
In no time at all, the judge declared Lily legally the dependent of Anthony and Charlotte. For such a monumental moment, it was simple and quick.
Charlotte had originally had images of the three of them going out for a celebratory lunch.
“Looks like it’s just me and you,” she told Lily as she descended the courthouse steps. She only hoped that wouldn’t be the mantra for the rest of Lily’s life.
Charlotte wasn’t in much of a mood to go out for lunch, so she decided to just head home and put Lily down for her afternoon nap. Maybe Anthony would show up at the house later…maybe not.
Once she strapped Lily in her car seat, Charlotte checked her phone once again for missed calls. Nothing. Not even a text.
Resisting the urge to throw the phone and kick her tires, she slid behind the wheel and counted to ten. Then she counted backward. But it was when she looked into the mirror and saw a smiling, happy child that she realized that she had to be strong. There was a baby depending on her, and another baby who would soon need her strength, too.
“I will not let myself get worked up again,” she whispered as she started the car. “I’ve known all along that this could happen.”
She just hated that stupid saying that kept playing in her head.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
* * *
Anthony didn’t even bother with his luggage in the car. He didn’t care about anything but getting inside to see Charlotte and Lily. God, he was sick just thinking of everything that had likely raced through her head in the hours since they were scheduled to meet at the courthouse.
Once his plane had finally landed in L.A., he’d tried calling her cell, only to get voice mail. More than likely she’d looked right at the screen and thrown the phone across the room.
But if she only knew what he’d gone through to get back to her, she’d know the circumstances were beyond his control.
Damn Mother Nature and lack of cell towers in no-name cornfields in whatever the hell
state his plane had had to make an emergency landing.
Anthony burst through the front door and immediately went up the stairs toward the nursery. Charlotte was probably giving Lily her nighttime bath.
Sure enough, at the top of the stairs he heard squeals coming from the bath. His heart clenched. This is what he would be coming home to every day. How could he not count his blessings? Laughter, love, happiness.
If he could just convince Charlotte that he had a legitimate reason for being late—six hours late to be exact—they could have it all.
But would she understand? Granted, Mother Nature had certainly caused the delay, but at the same time, if he hadn’t been away on business, he would’ve been at that court hearing with no problem.
He made enough noise in the hall to alert her to his presence. He didn’t want to add fear on top of what was sure to be anger.
As he rounded the corner of the bath, he smiled when he saw Charlotte wrap Lily in a pink hooded princess towel with the hood as a big terry-cloth tiara.
She turned, looked straight into his eyes and without a word, went back to towel-drying Lily.
“I’m sorry,” he said, not bothering with excuses. “I know you’re sick of those words, but it couldn’t be helped.”
Charlotte picked up a towel-wrapped Lily and nudged past him. “Also words I’m tired of hearing.”
Well, at least she was speaking to him. He feared he’d come home to complete silence. He followed her into the nursery and leaned against the doorjamb.
“I’m getting her ready for bed,” Charlotte said without turning to look at him. “I’m also not going to argue in front of her. If you have something to say, it can wait.”
Anthony didn’t move, didn’t say a word, he merely stood in the doorway watching what had become the nightly ritual of putting lotion on Lily’s porcelain skin and sliding her into a soft sleeper.
“I’ll go make the bottle,” he offered.
Charlotte zipped up the pajamas. “I already made it and brought it up before the bath.”
Whatever the Price Page 16