by Katie Dowe
“I look like a regency princess in one of my novels,” Olivia said, staring at herself in the mirror. “High shoes I am afraid.”
“Not very high and I think this is perfect.” Leesa help up a pair of Romano’s ice blue heels with pearls decorating the straps.
“Perfect,” Olivia said, her eyes glowing. “So I guess I am all set.”
“Alexander and Debbie are flying over for the ceremony,” Kelly told her as she selected a white teddy and garter.
“I cannot believe that I am having royalty at my wedding!” Olivia said with a shake of her head as she sat carefully on the silk sofa and finished her freshly squeezed orange juice.
“Believe it, darling,” Carrie Copeland said as she drank her champagne. “We sometimes feel as if we are living in a fairytale, but we are so lucky.”
“Selene Heywood has been asking about a bridal shower for you,” Leesa said to her.
“Why?”
“She claims that as family she has the right to be a part of the planning.”
“She has been trying to show me that she is friends with me but I don’t know.”
“I don’t think you should trust her, darling,” Leesa told her.
“I don’t, but I suppose I have to invite her,” Olivia said with a sigh.
*****
Selene felt the tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched as her husband left Sheryl’s apartment and got into his vehicle. It had been two weeks since the function and a few days after that she had noticed that he was coming in later than usual. She could not believe he was sleeping with that hateful woman! No wonder when she had seen her at lunch at one of the Takahashi’s restaurant she had looked at her so smugly. She drove behind him, her heart tripping inside her chest. It was the beginning of April and the spring Saturday night was cool and beautiful with the heavy scent of roses in the air but Selene was too much in despair to notice. The bastard! She banged her hand on the steering wheel and wanted to scream. This was the last straw. She waited until he had driven inside their paved driveway and then she drove in behind him. He stepped out of the vehicle and looked behind him as she came out of her car.
“Where have you been?” he asked carelessly as he locked the car door. He was so handsome and he knew it! She had fallen in love with him and with his wealth a long time ago and had been so honoured when he had asked her to marry him.
“I saw you,” she said tremulously.
“Saw me what?”
“You were coming from her apartment. I followed you, Blake.”
“Oh.” He laughed softly. “She just wanted some real estate advice so I went to her place to talk to her.”
“Do you think I am an idiot?”
“I don’t know. Are you?”
She hurried over and grabbed him in his chest holding on tight. “You prick!” she screamed.
“Control yourself,” he told her in disgust. “We might not have neighbors who can hear us but this is an exclusive neighborhood and your name happens to be Heywood so you need to control yourself.”
“That’s all that is important to you, isn’t it?” she said bitterly. “I am always here for you but that’s not enough is it? You have to screw every woman who is available.”
“You never used to care who I screw before so why now?”
“Why her, Blake? She looks at me as if I am a piece of trash because she knows she is screwing my husband. Why her?”
He put her away from him. “Because she made herself available. She is without a man right now, darling, and she needs me. Surely you can understand that?”
Selene screamed and launched herself at him raking her talons down the side of his face. With a growl of pain he slapped her hard against the cheek sending her to the cobbled ground.
“Bitch!” he said harshly, trying to stem the flow of blood as he stared down at her. Without another word he turned and walked into the house leaving her huddled to the ground, the tears streaming down her face!
*****
Garth looked at the 3D image of the office buildings that would soon be finished. He had finally gone downtown with his designs and had gotten the approval to put up office buildings in the sprawling metropolis. The mayor had come to him with the idea to bring back downtown and make it somewhere to live and work. Bradley was handling the housing and he was doing the offices and so far it was going very well. Little by little the town was starting to look like its original state. His intercom sounded. “Yes, Jennifer?”
“Your fiancée is here, Mr. Heywood.”
“Please send her in.” He was surprised to know that Olivia had come to the office. She had told him she had a very busy day today.
“She calls you. Mr. Heywood?” Olivia asked as soon as she came into his office.
“I don’t tolerate familiarity with staff members.” He leaned back against his chair and looked at her softly. She was wearing a plain black wool dress with knee length boots and she looked stunning.
“Get the stick out of your rear end, Garth, darling,” she said mildly as she came forward and sat on his desk, her legs swinging.
“What brings you here?”
“I just thought I would see what you are up to. I am supposed to be having lunch with your mother tomorrow to finalize the ceremony.”
He reached out to close his hands around her legs to stop them from swinging. “How is our baby?” One hand came to cover her stomach and he felt a thrill as he felt his child move inside her.
“The same as when you asked a few hours ago.”
“He moved just then, did you feel it?”
“Considering that he or she is inside my uterus then yes I felt it.” She closed her hands over his. “I was thinking of names. I don’t believe in giving a child names that belong to parents or grandparents but maybe if it is a boy then Blaine or Barrington for the middle name and if it is a girl–”
“Ophelia,” he said softly.
“My mother’s name? Why?”
“You loved your mother and you miss her. I just thought that naming our daughter after her is a splendid idea.”
“Garth Heywood, sometimes you surprise me,” she said huskily as she looked at him.
“Yes, well.” His eyes skittered away from hers.
With a gentle smile she slid off the desk carefully and went onto his lap.
“Olivia, I have work-” He broke off as she bent to capture his lips with hers. With a groan he succumbed and gathered her against him, deepening the kiss and holding her tight!
Chapter 8
The bridal shower was held at her place outside. The spring weather was lovely and not too cold. She had ordered a tent and chairs and made sure that the place was cleaned up and the tress trimmed. Olivia wandered around the yard and looked at each tree and plants fondly, her heart constricting and tear threatening. She was getting married and having a baby and her parents were not there to see it. Her children would never know their grandparents by her side. She sat on the swing and remembered when her dad had commissioned someone to build it for her. She had been five years old and had demanded a swing! She smiled as she pushed herself back and forward. She had been spoiled and had been Daddy’s little girl or so her mother had told her. Her father had been busy but he would always made sure she got everything she needed. She jumped a little as her cell phone rang. She pulled it from the pocket of her dress and saw that it was Garth. “Are you checking up on me?”
“Yes. What are you doing?”
“The guys were here to sort out the yard and they have done so and have left. There are people here setting up the tents and chairs now. I am having flashbacks.”
“What kind?”
“Of when I was a little girl. Daddy made a swing for me and I used to invite the whole neighbourhood to come over after school so that they could push me.”
“You were spoiled.”
“Yes, and proud of it. They were not here very much, Garth, but they made sure I had everything to my comfort. Our child is not goi
ng to know them,” she said tearfully.
“You are going to tell them,” he said softly.
“Are you trying to comfort me?”
“Maybe,” he said casually.
“You do care!”
“I never said I didn’t.” he said mildly.
“This shower thing has me all jittery. I think Leesa and your mother invited the entire society you belong to.”
“You are going to belong to the same society as well.”
“But I am going to be different. I am going to be the girl who does not give a heck what clothes I wear or how my hair looks.”
“You already care about the clothes you wear and about your hair.”
“I do, don’t I,” she said with a sigh. “Ah well, too late.”
Garth laughed. He was so delighted by her. She made him behave differently and made him want to ignore his strict code of ethics that he had lived with all his life. He had no idea how she had done it but she had. “Are you coming home tonight?”
“Of course. I happen to know you cannot sleep without me.”
“You are right,” he surprised her by saying. “I will come and pick you up.”
“Your mother will be here.”
“I will still come and pick you up.”
“Okay, darling, see you later.”
Garth hung up from her with a smile on his face. He looked up as his uncle came into the room. Garth frowned at the long scratch on his jaw. “In a fight with a cat?”
Blake rubbed his fingers down the welts and smiled a little bit. He had made it up with Selene quickly after and had not been back to see the lovely divorcee after that. He had decided to respect his wife’s wishes so now he relegated his extramarital affairs to the ones he had had before. “A jealous wife.” He walked over to the cabinet and poured himself some juice. “Women are strange creatures, my boy. They tell you they understand your need to have other women until it is a woman they dislike.” He grinned as he downed the ice cold drink. “You are getting married and you need to be aware of these things.”
“I have no intention of cheating on Olivia,” Garth told him distastefully. “She is all the woman I need.”
Blake stared at his nephew and laughed softly. “I can see that she is. I can see that she is one fine looking piece of woman. You are a lucky son of a gun.”
“If you even look at her-”
“Relax, my boy,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I know she is off limits.” He wandered over to take a seat. “I would like us to work together instead of fighting all the time.”
Garth looked at him suspiciously. “Why now?’
“I am accepting defeat graciously,” he said, inclining his head. “You are expecting your first child and you are getting married. However, you have done it. It is done and I value this company too much to see out fighting bring it down.”
“If you are genuinely sincere then I accept.”
“Good. Now in a week there will be a meeting announcing the new CEO of the company. We need to present a united front.”
*****
“It’s done, Selene, so leave it the hell alone.” He drank down the whisky and wandered over to the sofa to reach for the remote.
“You have handed over the company to him on a silver platter?” she asked him as she came and stood in front of him blocking his view.
“Dammit, woman, move!’ he demanded. She had bumped her head when he had slapped her a few days ago and his heart skidded as he thought about the scandal on the Heywood name if she had died. She stood there without moving. “What the hell do you want?”
“You promised that we would get the company, Blake. You swore that ‘the little whelp’ will not get control of it. Those were your words. Why have you suddenly changed your mind?”
“Because we have lost!” he shouted at her, causing her to jump in fear. He smiled grimly at that. “We have lost and being second in command is not so bad.”
“You will never get control of the company, Blake! They are having a child and that child will inherit so your chance of getting the company is nil.”
“So be it.” He got up and threw down the remote and went to get his jacket.
“Where are you going?” she demanded as she followed him.
“To the club.” He shoved his hands through the sleeves of his jacket. “If you want to follow me go right ahead.” And with that he slammed out of the room leaving her staring through the window. Thankfully they did not have live in helpers so she was spared of the humiliation of the things he put her through. Her hands gripped the rich olive green drapery as she watched his taillights disappear around the high walls bordering the property. She would get the company for him and then he would be so grateful to her that he would love her again!
*****
“You are smiling,” Jeremy observed as he took the drink from Marty and gave it to Garth.
“Life is good,” he acknowledged as he took the ice cold glass holding the liquor of his choice. “I am getting married tomorrow and I am expecting a child, I am going to be a father.” He lifted his glass in a toast.
“Yes, you are, my friend, and we have plans for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you really think that we would let you go off to be a man without really doing anything about it?” Jeremy signalled and suddenly the music sounded in the room. “A bachelor party of course.”
“No strippers,” Garth said with a glint in his moss green eyes as he looked around the room at the men he was acquainted with.
“Maybe one,” Jeremy said with a grin. “I have to answer to my wife if she hears about it.”
*****
“Okay, ladies, where is the gorgeous male stripper I need to see coming towards me?” Olivia demanded with a grin as soon as the gifts were oohed and aahed over and put away.
“We figured you were pregnant so you wouldn’t be needing something like that,” Leesa called out.
“Honey, I am pregnant not dead.”
“We don’t actually have a stripper because Kane made me promise that we will be well behaved but he did not say we could not all have fun our way.” She walked over and turned on the music. The sound of Bob Marley’s song No Woman No Cry came over and Olivia looked at the girl in amazement.
“Your fiancé told us that you have a love for reggae music,” she said with a grin. “Okay, ladies, let’s show them how it’s done!
Olivia kicked off the blue sandals she was wearing and joined in the energetic dancing by the wives. Selene looked on hiding the disgust and envy on her face. She had pretended that she was with them and had come to the bridal shower as a show of camaraderie. She had her plans and she was going to act as normal as possible, hopefully it did not kill her!
*****
Olivia woke up in the early hours of the morning, the dream lingering on and disturbing her. Glenna had stayed at her place where they would be getting dressed from there but Garth had come for her and had taken her back to the apartment. He was going to be dropping her off at her place this morning. She eased off the bed and reached for her robe pulling it around her nakedness and going out the room, through the sitting room, and down the stairs into the large sitting room. She sat on the sofa and stared into the dying fire. It was her wedding day and she was scared! Her dream had been about his uncle and she had seen the sinister look on his face before he pushed her into the path of an oncoming vehicle. That was when she had woken from her sleep. She put her hands over her belly and smiled at her child. He was very energetic! Her eyes widened as she realized that she had been referring to it as he and not she! Maybe it was significant and maybe she was having a son. “Hey there, honey, this is your mama. I cannot wait to see you. Maybe you are going to be a blondie like your dad with his gorgeous green eyes but whatever it is I cannot wait to see you. I hope you look like him because I happen to be partial to him. You see I love him so much even if he is a stick in the mud. But he cannot help how he became and in spite of it he
is a wonderful man and I would not exchange him for the world. I love him and I love you so much. We are going to have so much fun together, you and I and of course your daddy.”
Garth stood just inside the doorway and listened, his body shuddering at her words. He had opened his eyes and noticed that she was not by his side and had felt himself panicking before he had hurried to pull on his pants and came to find her. He took a sharp breath and she heard him. “Were you spying on me, Garth Heywood?” she asked as she got to her feet and came towards him.
“I was looking for you,” he said huskily. Her robe was thin and he could see that she was not wearing anything underneath. He place his palm on her belly and kept it there, his green eyes meeting hers. “Are you okay?”
“Now I am.”
“Do we have time to-”
“We always have time for that,” she said with a grin.
“Good.” He untied the robe and let it slip off her shoulders. His hands framed her belly for a moment before lifting in his arms. “I need to taste you.”
*****
April 22nd dawned bright and beautiful with puffy white clouds dotting the brilliant blue sky. The wedding was at two p.m. and after they had eaten breakfast at the apartment which Olivia had been too anxious to eat much of Garth had taken her to her place. He had come inside with her and held her hand in his before he left. Leesa had sent over a stylist for her and Glenna and had called her this morning to make sure everything was okay. There was also a woman to help them get ready as well. She started getting dressed at one and by the time it was one thirty she was ready. She stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself hardly daring to believe that it was really her. The folds of the ice blue dress hid her bump effectively and drifted down to her knees. The stylist had twisted her thick hair into several tiny braids and secured them at the top of her head, placing pearls strategically at the front. She was also wearing drop pearl earrings and pearl bracelets. She looked in the mirror as Glenna came up behind her wearing a dusky rose dress that fitted her well. “Honey, you look like a million bucks!” her friend said in awe.