by Cee, DW
“I didn’t feel needed or wanted, Michael. I had slowed down my business in hopes that I could spend more time with my parents and Grandpa Harry. With him getting older, I didn’t want to regret putting work above family.”
“The Benningtons owe you for taking care of our patriarch. We know it isn’t an easy job.”
Hearing that Grandpa Harry missed me, I felt tons better. I continued with the questions. “So how did you end your engagement?”
“Victoria saw it coming, at least that’s what she said when I went to break it off with her. She said that she sensed I was never completely hers. She hoped I would change, but I didn’t. Since it didn’t come as a huge surprise, she handled the news well.”
“All right. Since you were honest with me, it’s my time to tell you about the last ten years. Ask away.”
Rather than plying me with questions as I had him, he gently grabbed the back of my neck and leaned me toward his mouth. It was as if he was asking for approval before kissing me again. My lips inched toward his and that’s all the encouragement he needed. He kissed me gently and oh so sweetly. This kiss, too, didn’t last as long as I would have liked.
“It’s late, or early I suppose. We need to be up in a couple of hours to meet the Reids. Why don’t we get some sleep and we’ll talk more tomorrow?”
No more needed to be said. We both laid on his bed and fell asleep immediately. Hours past, I realized that Michael and I had slept together in the same bed, tangled in each other’s body. Even now, almost two decades later, this felt perfect.
Michael: Uniting History
“Welcome back.” Emily greeted us at the door. “I take it you two had a good night’s rest?” There was a smirk on that innocent face.
“We are rested well enough and ready to hammer out the details.” I explained. What I didn’t explain was that the blushing woman behind me and I fell asleep with our bodies entwined. That was too long in the making.
“Everyone is outside eating breakfast and enjoying this beautiful day. Come join us.” She watched me walk ahead of her, and then pulled Chloe aside for a private conversation. I wasn’t going to ask nor was I going to meddle.
“Where’s Chloe?” was the question all the women asked.
I pointed to the two shadowy figures in the house and helped myself to breakfast.
“Hello Mr. Michael.” A gorgeous blonde greeted me with a sweet smile.
“Hello Lilah. How are you this morning?”
“Fine. How are you?”
“What a polite little girl you are. Are you in kindergarten already?”
That was the jackpot question to ask. She poured out her life story to me. “No, but Mama says I’m going to the same school as Henry and Scottie and Ellie and James and JR and Ian and everybody else.”
“That’s a lot of cousins to have in one school. Do you know your ABCs?”
That’s when I heard the horrible cackles of a five-year-old. She sang her ABC song to the tune of who knew what! The pursed lips from enunciating each letter were adorable, but the singing was terrible.
“You look just like your Mama, but you must sing like your Papa.”
She giggled and giggled and giggled some more. Apparently, five-year-olds liked to talk and giggle. “Papa says I sing like Mama—and when Mama sings, we all close our ears.” She placed both hands on her ears to illustrate what “closing our ears” looked like.
“I see. Well, I think that was a lovely song, Lilah.”
“You want to hear more? I can sing ABC, Mary Had A Little Lamb, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and lots more!” She jumped up and down.
“Baby, let’s allow Mr. Michael to eat his breakfast in peace.”
“But Mama,” she complained, “Mr. Michael can eat and listen at the same time. Can’t he multitask like you?”
I did not need to fall in love with a Laney-incarnate and that was what I was in danger of doing at this moment.
“Where’d you learn words like multitask?”
She giggled again. “I’m smart. I can count to one thousand!”
“Wow!” I joined in her enthusiasm.
“Lilah!” The boys called. “Come here. We need you here so we can play hide and go seek.”
Her delighted face enthralled the rest of us who were watching her. “OK!” she yelled back. “Bye Mama. Bye Mr. Michael.”
“Little does she know that her brothers want her to count because they know she can’t find them. Give her a few years. She’ll be savvy enough to outsmart both boys.”
“Laney, after spending yesterday with your daughter, I was seriously contemplating procreating. She’s a doll.”
“Thank you, Michael.” Laney beamed a proud-mother smile. “I assume all is going well with Chloe?”
I chuckled. “Really, Laney Taylor? You think anything about my life has been easy since you broke my heart?”
“Pshaw!” She saw through my bluff. “You choose to make it hard on yourself. All would be fine if you’d get on your knee and propose already. What’s holding you back? You have a beautiful woman whose eyes have been on you since I first met her. How’d you lose her for this many years?”
“Alas, my dear Laney Reid. I’ve never been wise when it came to matters of the heart.”
“Are you flirting with my wife, again?” The dutiful husband kissed his wife in front of me—purposely, of course.
“Stop,” Laney demanded. She pushed away the man who tried to stay lip-locked with her.
“I don’t know why the good Lord smiles upon you, Donovan Taylor. You have two of the most beautiful and charming woman and girl completely under your spell. Maybe I need to admit I need some lessons from you.”
My “adversary” grinned. “It appears you, yourself, have a beautiful and charming woman under your spell. You just need to throw her over your shoulder and impregnate her as I did my woman. Then she’ll marry you.”
“That’s the trick?” I teased a blushing Laney.
“It sure as hell worked for me. Then, you work at it until a little girl in the spitting image of her mother shows up and captures your heart.”
“Your Delilah is something else. She appears to have the good parts of both of you, except maybe for her singing.”
Husband and wife laughed. “I am so in love with my baby girl, I’m in negotiation with this little woman for another one just like her.”
That was news to me. “Oh?” I asked Laney.
“Don’t listen to him. That’s just his way of trying to get me to put out more often.”
“OK! I think it’s time for me to leave you two. Obviously, you need privacy.”
I walked away and talked to Jake while finishing my meal. Once everyone had eaten and the kids were content, Jake called the adults to the table to hash out the wedding details.
I started with, “Are you all in agreement concerning this marriage?”
Max was first to voice his concern. “While I would love to have your grandfather take good care of our Gram, I’m not sure she’d be willing to marry again. What will we do if she flat-out says no to this idea?”
Emily spoke next. “I think Gram was always open to His Grace. She’s told me her life’s story several times and it was the duke who lost his chance and not Gram who pushed him away.”
“Really?” I added. “That’s interesting.”
“Laney and I went over and talked to Gram last night after you left and we got the feeling she wasn’t opposed to the duke.”
“That’s fantastic, Jane. Thanks for probing.”
“So obviously the duke is willing to marry Gram and if Gram isn’t opposed to this union, do we put the idea out there and see what they say?”
“Jake, I say we plan everything in secret and bring the bride and groom to their own wedding.” This was what Chloe and I had discussed back in Paris.
“Chloe, are you available to plan another wedding? We can all help you,” Emily offered.
“I’ve cleared my calendar indefinitely. I’ll be out of town here and there for weddings I’ve already committed to, but I’ll base myself here at the duke’s home.”
“I assume you’ll stay here with Chloe as well?” Laney asked with a mischievous glint.
“Yes, Laney. I’ll be here until I need to go fetch my grandfather for his wedding.”
“Great! That settles it then. You leave the wedding to us, Gentlemen,” Laney spoke.
“There’s one last question for you.”
“Yes, Michael?” Jake asked.
“Seeing as how you all live on the same block, I wondered if we could buy one of these homes?”
Jake considered this question. “Perhaps. Why do you ask?”
“After they’re married, I’d like to give them a house of their own to reside in. Grandfather’s LA home is far from here and I assume Estelle won’t want to move to London. It’ll also allow the Benningtons to stop by and check in on our grandfather and his new bride whenever we’re in LA.”
“These homes are technically only for Reids, but let me see what I can do. Since Gram is a Reid, I don’t see why she can’t live in the one unoccupied home. I’ll get back to you on that question.”
“Fantastic. Can we put a wedding together in a month?”
“A month, Michael?” Chloe looked horrified. “It’ll take longer than that. I want to give Grandpa Harry the most beautiful memory.”
“Chloe,” I advised, “Grandfather is ninety-five. He’s marrying the woman he’s wanted since he was twenty. I think we can throw a Sunday brunch and have a minister here and he’d be pleased as hell. Two weeks to a month—that’s all the time I’m giving you.”
“But,” she complained, “but…”
“The bride and groom are living on borrowed time. We need them married.”
I saw both resignation and enlightenment on her face. “All right. I’ll work fast.”
I found success in negotiating a wedding for my ninety-five-year-old grandfather. Now, if only I could do the same for myself!
Chloe: Magical History
“What are you up to today, Chlo-No?” Michael asked.
“I’m having lunch with my once-roommate Cat. Do you remember her?”
“I think so. She’s the one you lived with when we all came back from the States?”
“Yep. That’s the one. She moved to LA ten years ago and she’s still here with her husband and little girl. I haven’t seen her in a few years. It should be a fun lunch. What are you up to?”
“Niles and our other partner, Alexander, are both here. We have some unfinished business in LA. We’re supposed to meet in an hour.”
“Will you be back for dinner? Shall I eat on my own?”
“Niles wants to see you. The three of us can have dinner somewhere between where you will be and where we will be. Does that sound good?”
I nodded. “Tell Niles I can’t wait to see him. It’s been too long.”
“You tell him yourself. He’s a bit pissed with you for staying away.”
“Damn. So many Benningtons to appease.” Michael laughed at my chagrin. “By the way, your sister is coming here with her family next week.”
“What the hell for?”
“She has an audition and since the three of them don’t ever separate, they’re all coming. She’s asked for the west wing in this gigantic mansion.”
Michael shook his head. “Wait until you see how in love with each other that family is. It’ll make you want to gag.”
I smiled at Michael. “I think all that love is sweet.”
“Speaking of, you and I haven’t finished our talk. Don’t think we’re done, Chlo-No. Tonight we’ll be out late with Niles. Tomorrow, you and I have a date with a bottle of wine and that couch over there.”
Shoot! I thought Michael had forgotten. “All right,” I mumbled and left for lunch.
Wedding plans were underway and the Reid ladies were helping me marry their grandmother to my beloved grandfather. Barbara Reid and I had already been to several party stores and had decided on all the basic needs for a wedding. Emily was in charge of contacting the relatives to make certain they would leave their calendars open that entire weekend. Michael, Donovan, and Jane promised to meet soon and work out all the legal matters between the two senior citizens. I had some idea what that meant, but did not care to know in details.
Laney Taylor offered me the use of her house. She mentioned that would be the safest place to set up for a wedding without Estelle becoming suspicious. I wasn’t crazy about being in her house so often, but I didn’t have a choice. Without an argument, I accepted the offer and started the wedding planning process.
“What the hell are you thinking about so deeply? I’ve walked through this restaurant with my beautiful three-year-old and this adorable five-year-old and you’ve not blinked once.”
“Cat!” My ex-roommate and her magnanimous presence was in the house. I loved this woman. “Oh my gosh, Lottie! How adorable are you!” I picked her up from her mother’s arms and spun her around. Rather than running from me, she asked for more. I obliged. “You get more beautiful each day, Lottie. Who did these beautiful French braids on you?”
“My mommy.” I sat her on my lap and she chose to stay. “Who is this, Mommy?”
“That’s Auntie Chloe. She’s the one who sent you the pretty dress and sparkly shoes you’re wearing.”
Lottie smiled big. “I like my pretty dress and sparkly shoes.”
“I’m glad you like them. I’ll have to buy you more.”
“OK,” she murmured and helped herself to the breadbasket.
Looking up to talk to Cat, I saw a beautiful boy sitting patiently, waiting for me to notice him. I don’t know how I missed this adorable child with dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and the face of an angel.
“Hello, there. Who are you?” I asked the boy but looked to my friend.
“Hello.” His smile was even more gorgeous than the innocent stare. “I’m Nolan and I’m five years old.”
“Nice to meet you, Nolan who’s five years old. Would you like some bread?” I handed him the basket Lottie was destroying.
“Yes, thank you.” He grabbed a roll, took a gigantic bite, and said to me, “You’re pretty and you sound like Auntie Cat, Uncle Daniel, and my daddy.”
“I do? How do I sound to you?”
“English. I wish I had an English accent.”
“Well I think your American accent is nice, Nolan. Do you and Lottie play together a lot?”
“We hang together sometimes. Sometimes I can’t because I’m with my mommy in exotic places.”
I couldn’t help but find this little boy’s choice of words, amusing. “You hang in exotic places? Name some for me.”
“Bora Bora, Fiji, and other small islands off Australia and New Zealand you may or may not know.”
Now I was laughing. “You are one well-traveled little boy. You’ve definitely traveled to more islands than I have.”
“I told you so. You should see my passport. I have more stamps than the US Postal service.”
“How old did you say you were?”
“Five.”
This little one was adorable, comical, and a genius, apparently. “Who?” I whispered to Cat. She didn’t answer.
“Let’s order lunch,” was all Cat would say. “What would you like, Nolan?”
“I’d like a rib-eye steak and French fries, Auntie Cat.”
“I want chicken tenders, Mommy.”
“I guess it’s decided, then. Chloe? Cobb salad as usual?”
“You know me so well, Roomie.”
Once the ordering was done and the kids were working on their coloring, Cat and I caught up on each other’s lives.
“So you’re really planning a wedding for the duke and his lady love? How freaking romantic to marry the woman you’ve loved for seventy years!”
“I kno
w, isn’t it? I wish some prince would come riding on his high horse and tell me he’s been in love with me for so many years. If that happens, I think I’ll marry him in a heartbeat—no questions asked.”
“Well, here’s your chance, Princess Chloe.”
“What?” I asked Cat when I heard, “Daddy!” coming from the mouth of the little Albert Einstein sitting across from me. I turned around and found Magic.
