“There’s something else you should know,” Laura added in a serious voice.
“What is it?”
Laura waited for Liz to turn around and face her before she continued. “He gave you Valhalla,” she said simply, holding up the settlement papers as proof.
Liz’s eyes widened and she sank into the chair. “He what?”
“Valhalla. It’s yours. Free and clear, with all its contents and the private jet will take you there twice a year at least, more if you ask.”
Liz was staring off in front of her, her mind whirling. “Valhalla,” she whispered.
Laura watched her, wondering what her friend was going to do next and beginning to get worried when suddenly Liz leapt up and grabbed Laura by the shoulders.
“Do you know what this means!?” Liz cried. Laura just shook her head. “He loves me! That’s his favorite place in the world, in the whole world! He wouldn’t give it to me if he just wanted me to be okay, I don’t need a villa to be okay. He loves me! Laura! He loves me!” she cried excitedly, jumping and moving around her friend in a circle.
“Where are you going?” Laura asked as Liz ran out of the room.
“I have to find Will!” Liz cried.
She grabbed her phone and texted her husband. Where are you?
Will: In the car. Was headed to a meeting but it just cancelled, going back to office.
Liz: Are you close to home?
Will: Yes. Should I stop by? ;-)
Liz: Yes, stop by. I want to see you.
Will: I’ll be there in 15 minutes.
“Laura, you have to leave,” Liz said, shrugging out of her cardigan.
“What? Why?”
“Because Will’s on his way over and I don’t need an audience when I jump him in the foyer, all right?”
Laura laughed. “All right, all right, I’m going.” She packed her papers into her briefcase and waved the last packet at Liz. “I’m guessing you won’t be needing these, then?”
“Leave them. I might need them as evidence,” Liz said, her eyes sparkling again.
Laura nodded. “I like your style, Barrett.”
Liz was now in their bedroom, ripping off her tank top and digging in her drawer for something sexy to wear.
Laura leaned in the doorway and said, “Wear the red one. It makes you look like sex on a stick.”
Liz turned and quickly embraced her friend. “Thank you, Laura, for everything.”
“That’s what friends are for. Go get your man, Lizzy Barrett,” she said thickly, squeezing her friend’s shoulder and walking to the front door.
She was to the end of the hall when Liz called out, “That’s Lizzy Harper!”
Laura laughed and shut the door loudly behind her, leaving Liz alone and excited and terrified out of her mind.
44
Keep You
August
2 Years, 4 Months Married
Will wasn’t in the door a minute before Liz jumped into his arms, furiously kissing him.
“Hello to you, too,” he said happily as she released his mouth and moved on to his neck.
She tore his clothes off with no regard for silly things like buttons or belt loops. His pants were thrown behind her where they landed on a lamp and his shoes were tossed into the dining room. It took him a minute, but he finally realized she was wearing nothing but a pair of lacy red panties and a matching bra. Those, too, quickly met the floor.
Liz seemed to be in the throes of some sort of desperate passion, and thinking himself the lucky recipient of feminine hormones, he gladly went along. But after a few minutes, something began to shift. There was a light in her eyes. Actually, the first thing he noticed was that her eyes were open, nearly the entire time, an unusual action for her. But after he noticed that, what little attention he could spare he used to study her. Something was different. Her green eyes were glittering, seemingly speaking volumes to him, and once his eyes had locked on hers, he couldn’t look away.
Like a man hypnotized, he touched and caressed her all the ways he knew she loved and thrilled with each approving “yes” she uttered. Somehow, in his mind, her cries of agreement were not mindless expressions of ecstasy but answers to all the questions he hadn’t had the courage to ask her. Do you love me? Will you stay with me? May I keep you forever?
The look on her face was almost better than spoken acceptance. She smiled blissfully and he noticed again that something was different about her. She was… luminous. Her eyes were speaking volumes to him, staring directly into his, and he began to wonder, to hope, that the look he was sure he wasn’t imagining meant that she loved him. That she would stay.
Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck and her legs around his waist. Her eyes were glued to his and as she came to him, so beautifully, she cried out his name and then, to his very great surprise, burst into tears. Unsure what was happening, he stroked her back and whispered to her.
“Lizzy, my Lizzy, don’t cry, sweetheart. Everything’s all right. I’ve got you. I’ve got you, baby.”
She buried her head in his neck and let her tears fall unchecked before finally choking out, “I’m all right. I’m just so happy.”
“You’re happy?”
“William! My William!” she whispered into his neck.
She returned her eyes to his and continued to call his name, sweet and breathless, low and passionate, whispered and intimate. It had an intoxicating effect on him and he lost control, growling her name and holding her so tightly he was sure to bruise her pale skin.
“Lizzy! Lizzy!” He was incoherent, every sense filled with the taste and scent and feel of his wife, her sweet voice in his ear urging him on to greater abandon. “I need you, baby, I need you so much. My wife, my perfect wife.” He continued to call her name and whisper endearments until they cried out together and he collapsed in boneless oblivion.
After several moments of lying next to each other on the living room floor (he wasn’t exactly sure how they had gotten there) he reached for a throw blanket and wrapped it around them.
He stroked her cheek and asked gently, “Are you all right?”
“I’m perfect.”
She ran a hand through his hair and traced the features of his face with a possession she had never allowed herself to feel before. “William.” She smiled that radiant smile again and said simply, “You gave me Valhalla.”
“Yeah, I did.” He brushed a curl from her forehead. “Lizzy,” his voice was nervous, almost hesitant, but determined. “I don’t want just one more Christmas.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I want every Christmas. And Thanksgiving and Valentine’s and New Year.” His eyes bored burned a little brighter. “Stay with me.”
Liz’s breath whooshed out of her in a long sigh of relief and she hugged him tightly. “Oh, thank God!”
“I love you, baby.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes, holding her face in his hands. “Do you love me?” She nodded. “Are you sure?” She nodded again, this time accompanied by a bright smile. “Say it, Lizzy. I want to hear you say it.”
“I love you. I love you completely and wholeheartedly, with every fiber of my being. And I don’t want to get divorced.” She rested her forehead against his.
“I couldn’t leave you if I tried,” he whispered.
***
Harper had to go back to the office a few hours later for a meeting that couldn’t be missed. When it was through, he walked into Andrew’s office just as his friend was packing up for the day.
“Hey, are you all ready to sign the papers?” Andrew asked.
William sat in the chair in front of his lawyer’s desk and leaned back, his long legs stretched in front of him and his hands folded across his middle.
“There’s been a change of plans, Jamison,” he said with a small satisfied smile.
“Oh? What’s up?” Jamison sat on the edge of his desk, in the same room and position he’d sat in when he made Liz an offer she didn’t
refuse more than two years ago.
“We need a new settlement.”
Andrew closed his eyes for a moment. “Will, we’ve discussed this. The settlement is very generous. More than generous, considering.”
Will raised his brows and looked at Jamison until his friend asked, “All right, what changes do you want made?”
Will sat up and leaned forward slightly. “In the event of divorce, she gets half of everything. All my personal holdings. Taggston is separate, of course, but my personal wealth should be split in half. She can have Valhalla and the apartment, that part stays, but add in the house in the Hamptons. And she should get alimony. Something fair, but generous. Oh, and her little loan on her building is forgiven,” he looked at his watch, “starting now.”
Andrew looked at his friend in confusion, then opened his mouth and tried to speak without success.
“If there are children involved, I will assume the cost of their educations as high as they care to go, and she gets regular child support and fifty percent custody. And they can all take art classes if they want—put that in there.”
“Harper, what—”
Will cut him off. “Oh, and under no circumstances is Taggston Publishing to sever their working relationship with her.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “You know, she should have a house in London so she has somewhere to stay with the kids while I’m there. Add in a townhouse near mine.”
“Aren’t you forgetting the infidelity clause?” Andrew asked sarcastically. He stood and walked to sit behind his desk.
“If she cheats,” he thought for a moment, then waved his hand in dismissal, “lower her alimony, but still be generous. If I cheat, give her my stock in HarperCo.”
Andrew spluttered. “Will! What, how—what are you even talking about?”
“Or I could give her more money, though it hardly seems a fitting punishment,” he said thoughtfully.
“That isn’t a settlement!” Andrew cried incredulously.
“I suppose it is more of a prenup. Or is it a postnup? I’ll let you work that out,” Will said casually.
“William Harper! I insist you tell me what you are talking about this moment!” Andrew stood and nearly shouted.
William leaned his head back and laughed. Then he rose smoothly from his chair and smiled at his friend. “Sorry, Jamison, no time to explain. I’ve got to get home to my wife.” With that, William turned and walked toward the door, whistling a suspiciously cheerful song.
“You dog,” Jamison said quietly. Will glanced over his shoulder and smiled, and Jamison added loudly as his friend stepped through the door, “It’s about bloody time, you daft git!” He heard Harper’s laughter in the hallway.
**
When Will got home that evening, the lights were dim and the table was set with crystal candlesticks and elaborate place settings. Sultry music was coming from the console in the corner. He could smell something delicious wafting out of the kitchen. He popped his head in the door and saw several dishes covered with lids, but no Liz. He went to their bedroom and changed out of his wrinkled suit into comfortable chinos and a soft shirt Liz could never resist hugging him in. How could he have thought she didn’t love him because she supposedly didn’t show it? She showed it all the time. Through warm affection, cooking his favorite meals, laughing with him, cheering him up, holding him, listening to him, partnering with him in every way. No one was that good of an actress all the time. How could he have been so blind?
He walked slowly back to the dining room, looking for his wife. My wife, he thought with a satisfied smile. Liz was standing next to the table, wearing a simple pink sundress he’d always loved her in. Something about the tiny flowers on it reminded him of England in June and made her look fresh and rosy.
“Hello,” she said sweetly. He smiled and she immediately blushed, which made him smile more.
“Hello, Lizzy.” He reached for her and she came willingly, wrapping her arms around him tightly. “How was your day?”
“Good. Great, actually. How was yours?” she asked.
“Excellent.” They pulled back and smiled at each other for a moment.
“I made dinner,” she said.
“Yes, I saw.”
She led him to the table, now covered with the dishes that had been in the kitchen and told him what was what while he poured them each a glass of wine. He listened to her in rapt attention and felt unbelievably happy, unbelievably lucky, that this is what his life would look like going forward. He could come home to this, to her, every day. He grabbed her hand as she turned to take her seat and pulled her back to him. He gave her a quick kiss before letting go, laughing quietly at her once again rosy cheeks.
Liz was quiet during dinner, but she often was when something was on her mind, and he knew his own mind was practically swimming, so he didn’t worry about it overmuch. Finally, they finished and took their plates to the kitchen where Liz sliced them each a piece of strawberry cheesecake. They sat at the table again, Will eating happily while Liz fiddled with her fork.
“Are you all right?” he asked, a nervous feeling creeping up his spine.
“Yeah, fine, I just wondered, now that we’re really married, what do you think about doing it again?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean another ceremony. Where we can promise more things, real things.”
“Our first wasn’t too far off,” he said as he reached across the table to take her hand. “Do you want to do another ceremony just the two of us, or would you like to include friends?”
“Ideally, I’d like to include friends—not many, but I would like it if Laura could be there, and Caroline and Teddy and Harry, and my parents and sisters and my grandmother.”
“That’s quite a list.”
She looked down. “I guess that isn’t really feasible, is it?”
He looked at Liz with sadness. She’d never worn a wedding gown—she’d worn a little blue dress at their Vegas ceremony. She didn’t walk down the aisle with her father or dress her sisters in frilly matching frocks. She hadn’t had photos taken of her with her parents in all her finery or worn a veil or put a penny in her shoe. She was so young, and he’d cost her so much already. Perhaps there was a way.
“Maybe we can think of something,” he said.
“Yeah, maybe.”
Wanting to lighten the mood, he said, “Lizzy, did you just propose to me?”
She looked up, startled. “I guess I did!” She laughed and suddenly everything was right again.
45
Here Comes the Bride
Late August
10 Days in Love
Knowing her dream of having a wedding with her family and friends present wasn’t a possibility (after all, who renews their vows after only two years?), Liz began thinking of other options. She thought they could have a small ceremony on a beach somewhere with just Jenny, Andrew, and Laura present and maybe Teddy and Caroline. The two couples had grown close and they could consider telling them the truth. Or maybe they would believe it was just a renewal.
She also considered telling them that they had thought she was pregnant the first time and it was why they had really married, but that it had turned out to be a false alarm or maybe they could say she’d had a miscarriage. She didn’t like the idea of more lies, but she would really like Caroline especially to be there. And wouldn’t William like to have someone from his family there? Thomas was two now and could be a ring bearer. He would be adorable in a little tuxedo. The baby was too small to participate, but she could wear a pretty white dress in the pictures.
She shook her head and made herself focus on the task at hand. They could have an elaborate anniversary party in April, or do it sooner in the autumn as a celebration for Will’s thirty-fifth birthday, or even have something at Christmas. If they did a super private ceremony before, with just the people who knew the truth already, maybe they could have a reception disguised as a party. She wanted a simple dress—it didn’t hav
e to be obvious it was a wedding dress.
She continued to wrack her brain for ways to make this work, and just when she’d convinced herself one way would be feasible, she realized something that would make it impossible.
With a sigh, she gave up for the time being and went for a run to clear her head.
Her run led her near Andrew and Jen’s apartment and she decided to pop in and see her sister. Jenny was sitting at the dining table, surrounded by magazines and pictures of floral arrangements she’d cut out.
“Wedding planning?” Liz asked. Jen’s October wedding was what had made her scratch the big autumn birthday idea.
“Yes. There are so many details to organize! Mom’s been a big help, but I still have to tell her what I want before she can put the order in with the florist.”
“This is pretty.” Liz held up a picture of an elegant centerpiece.
“Thanks. I was talking to Gran the other day. After I told her what a hard time I was having finding a dress, she suggested I wear her wedding dress.”
“Oh, really? Will you?”
“I’m not sure. I’m a little taller than her, and my arms are longer, so the sleeves may be too short. But we could probably have it altered.”
Liz nodded. She’d always loved her grandmother’s wedding dress. Jen would look beautiful in it. Both were tall and thin, with willowy figures and porcelain skin. Her sister would look very elegant walking through the trees in the gown. Jen’s wedding was being held at their parents’ farm, in a beautiful glade the girls had played in as children.
“Gran said she was sad she never got to see you in a wedding dress. She’d always thought we’d both get to wear her gown. I told her you could wear it in the fittings and we’d take pictures of you. What do you think about that? I’m sure Gran would love to have them. We could get your hair done and everything. It would look like a real wedding.”
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