Happily Ever After (Forever and Always #7)

by Todd, E. L.

  I felt my heart fall. “What’s her name?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t ask. When I tried to get her registration information, she refused. She definitely doesn’t look like she belongs here.” He took a deep breath. “But don’t worry about it, Sean. I’ll take care of it. You just worry about getting married.” He grabbed my shoulders and smiled at me.

  I couldn’t see his face. My vision became blurry. What I feared had come to pass. “Can you get Ryan for me? I need to talk to him. He’s on the other side of the house with Scarlet.”

  “Right now? The wedding is about to begin.”

  “Dad, just do it.”

  He saw the conviction in my eyes. “Okay. I’ll be right back.” He left and disappeared into the hallway. Ryan appeared a moment later.

  “Don’t tell me I have to talk you off the ledge too.”

  “No.” I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. I lowered my voice to a whisper. “I think your mom is here.”

  His eyes widened and the ferocity shined through. “Did you see her?”

  “I think she’s outside. My dad said a woman hit a car and she keeps trying to come inside. He called the cops and they’re on their way.”

  “It could take them an hour to get here. We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

  “I know,” I said with a sigh.

  “Did your dad say anything else? Described what she looked like?”

  “He said she seemed drunk.”

  “Fuck. That’s her.” He pulled out his phone and pressed the send button. “Cortland, I need you to do something. Stall the wedding.” His voice grew angry. “Yes, you heard me. Stall. Do whatever you have to. Tell jokes, I don’t give a shit. Scarlet’s mom is here and I can’t let Scarlet find out. You understand me?” He nodded. “Good.” He hung up.

  I turned to Ryan. “I don’t want Scarlet to know. It’ll ruin the entire day.”

  “I know, I know. We’ll figure it out.”

  If Scarlet knew her mother pulled into the driveway, damaging everything in her path, she would be so mortified that she wouldn’t be able to show her face. The happiest day of her life would be ruined. I couldn’t let that happen.

  “What do we do?” I asked.

  Ryan sighed. “I have no fucking idea. But I guess I better go out there.”

  “Don’t do anything crazy. The last thing we need is for you to get arrested. That would be even worse for Scarlet.”

  “I know.” He opened the door and walked outside. I followed behind him.

  We came to the end of the driveway and saw three men standing by the circular fountain, their arms crossed over their chests. A woman was leaning against the fountain, smoking a cigarette. As soon as I saw her, I felt the anger and adrenaline course through my body. She looked nothing like Scarlet, but I knew it was the woman because of the look in Ryan’s eyes.

  She wore jeans and a wrinkly top, like she had been wearing it for several days. Her hair was thin and colorless, like it was falling from her head because she had cancer. Her skin was wrinkly and saggy, like she had been to too many tanning salons. Her fingers were the ugliest part. They were pruned. Her breathing was raspy, like inhaling air was difficult for her.

  I couldn’t believe this is where Scarlet came from. They were nothing alike. Scarlet was beautiful, happy, approachable. This woman was disgusting and hideous. It was so hard to believe that I seriously thought she must be adopted. How did she come from this and become the woman she is now? It was so amazing it was unbelievable.

  The woman looked at Ryan. “My boy.”

  “Sarah.”

  “You mean mother?” she said, blowing the smoke from her lungs.

  “You aren’t my mother.”

  She pressed the cigarette into the stone of the fountain then tossed it into the water. She grabbed another from the box and lit it up.

  “I was hoping you had died from lung cancer by now.”

  I’ve seen Ryan be angry and mean, but this was a new level.

  “And I was hoping both of you had died so I could get my money back. My money.”

  “Whatever you came here for you isn’t here. I suggest you leave.”

  “I just want to talk to my daughter. Congratulate her on the most special day of her life.” She rolled her eyes and took another drag. She looked at me. “My son-in-law. How nice to meet you.”

  “Leave my property. The cops are on their way and they’ll take you away.”

  “I’m not on your property. Your property begins over there.” She nodded toward the driveway. “I’m in the street.”

  “You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” I threatened. “My parents have more money than you’ll ever see. One payoff to the cops and they’ll throw you in jail.”

  “Which is why I’m here. I want my money.”

  Ryan glared at her. “I can’t believe you came all the way here just to ruin Scarlet’s wedding.”

  “I didn’t come here to ruin her wedding,” she said with a laugh. “I came here to get back what’s rightfully mine.”

  “Fuck you,” Ryan snapped. “That money is ours and you know it.”

  “I live in a trailer in a mobile home. Is that what you wanted for me?”

  “I had an ashtray thrown at my fucking head. Is that what you wanted for me?”

  She puffed on her cigarette again. “You shouldn’t have intervened.”

  “You mean I shouldn’t have stopped you from beating my sister?”

  She shrugged. “It’s her fault for being a bitch.”

  I looked at the time. The cops were still on their way. I wasn’t sure how long this would take. “What do you want?” I snapped. “Let’s get this over with.”

  “I want my money.”

  “You aren’t getting it. Now what?”

  “I’m not leaving until I get it.” She looked at the three men standing nearby, seeing them block her path to the house.

  “I guess you’ll be here all night,” I said.

  “No,” Ryan said. “You’ll be arrested for driving under the influence. You hit a car.”

  “I’m not drunk.”

  “Hell yeah, you are.”

  “I just hit that car because there was no room on the road. My bad.”

  “I’m sure the cops will take you in because of that.”

  “Why? They’ll take my insurance info and that will be the end of it. The owner will come and see the damage I’ve done. Word will spread of my presence. Scarlet will realize I’m here. She’ll come out and show her face. I know she will.”

  Now I understood her plan. “You aren’t going to see her. You may as well give up.”

  “She’s got to leave sometime.”

  I couldn’t let that happen. Scarlet had been traumatized too much in her life. I wasn’t going to let it keep happening to her. “You want money? I’ll give you money.”

  Ryan looked at me. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “I’ll give you five million if you never bother Scarlet ever again. That’s twice as much as you lost.”

  She tapped her finger against the cigarette and the ash fell. “I like you.”

  Ryan grabbed my arm. “We aren’t giving her any money.”

  “I’ll give her my money. My parents are billionaires. They won’t care.”

  He pulled me aside. “No. If you give her the money, then that means Scarlet and I have your money.”

  “I don’t care about that. Keep it.”

  “No. Scarlet would be so embarrassed if your parents it to her. That would be worse than seeing her mom on her wedding day. You can’t do that.”

  “That’s why I won’t tell her the truth. And I’ll pay my parents back after I start working at the company.”

  “No,” he said firmly. “I can’t let you do this.”

  “Ryan, I can’t let Scarlet’s day be ruined. If you have a better way of getting rid of her, please share it because I can’t think of anything. Scarlet and I are leaving for the airport to
night. She’ll see your mom then. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let it happen. The cops won’t do anything because she isn’t breaking any laws. And we can’t have these three guys just standing here all night. Word will travel, Ryan. I won’t let my fiancé be embarrassed. I’ve never hit a girl in my life but I would gladly beat the shit out of her, kill her, then bury her body on our land, but I know Scarlet wouldn’t want that. So, do you have any better ideas?”

  Ryan shook his head but didn’t say anything. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the ground. “I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Then let’s do this.”

  “Scarlet would be mad.”

  “She’ll never find out. I’ll talk to my dad. If I ask him to keep it from my mom, he will. And I’ll pay him back. He knows I’m good for it. All I know is that I can’t let this happen to Scarlet.”

  “How do you know she won’t come back for more money?”

  I sighed. “I’ll deal with that when the time comes. But I don’t think she will. She got more than she bargained for.”

  “I can’t think of a better idea.”

  I nodded. “I’ll take care of it.” I turned and walked back to the house. My dad hung up the phone when I entered the entryway. “Dad, I need a favor.”

  “Anything, Son.”

  “Dad, promise me this conversation stays between us.”

  His eyes fell. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

  “Please?”

  “Okay.”

  “The woman outside is Scarlet’s mother.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I thought she died?”

  “We lied. Scarlet didn’t want everyone to know the truth.”

  “And what’s she doing here?”

  “It’s a long story. Basically, I made sure Scarlet and Ryan got their inheritance money. Her mom wasn’t happy about that. Scarlet’s been able to stay hidden, but when our announcement was posted in the newspaper, her mom must have read it. Now she’s here and she refuses to leave until she gets her money back.”

  My dad nodded then rubbed his chin. “So, what do you want me to do?”

  “I need five million dollars.”

  “That’s a big allowance.”

  “I’ll pay you back. You know I’m good for it. I’m taking over the company. You’ll get it back.”

  “And you’re going to give it to Scarlet’s mother?”

  “That’s the only way I can get rid of her. I can’t let Scarlet see her. It’ll ruin the wedding. And she can’t know I gave her the money either. Scarlet would be mortified if she knew I was asking you this.”

  My dad stared at the floor while he was lost in thought. “I’m doing this for Scarlet. If you asked me for any other reason, I would have said no.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much.”

  “And you better pay me back.”

  “You have my word.”

  “Okay. I’ll get my checkbook.” He left the entryway and walked into his study. He folded the check and handed it to me. “I’m very happy that Scarlet got away from that life.”

  I nodded. “She’s amazing. I can’t believe it either.”

  “Now get rid of her before Scarlet figures it out.”

  I hugged him. “Thank you so much. And please don’t tell Mom.”

  “Believe me, I won’t. Your mother is already harsh on Scarlet as it is.”

  “And don’t ever mention anything to Scarlet.”

  He clapped my back. “I always keep my word.”

  I pulled away. “Thank you so much.” I walked out the door then moved across the grass. Ryan was still standing there, his arms crossed over his chest. He and his mother weren’t speaking.

  I came up to her, getting in her face. I ignored the disgusting smell of the smoke. “Here’s your money. Now get the fuck out of here.”

  She took it with a smile on her face. “My daughter has good taste.”

  I glared at her. “I said go.”

  She threw her cigarette in the fountain. “Hold on.” She opened the check and looked at it. “It looks good.”

  “Now leave and don’t ever bother my wife again.”

  She smiled then walked away. “Welcome to the family, Sean. And bye, baby.”

  Ryan didn’t respond.

  I watched her get into her beat up Volvo and drive away.

  “Thank you,” Ryan whispered.

  “I would do anything for your sister.”

  “Your dad said he would keep it a secret?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  Ryan sighed. “I need a minute before we go back inside. I can’t see Scarlet right now. She’ll see right through me.”

  “She sees through everyone.”

  “I’m glad that Scarlet found someone that loves her despite her past. I’ve never been more embarrassed in my life.”

  “I love Scarlet for her, not her humble beginnings.”

  “I know it’s still difficult for you. You come from a prestigious family. If word got out about Scarlet, you would probably be ostracized by the community.”

  “I don’t like anyone in the community anyway. I really don’t care.”

  “I know.”

  “And I don’t judge either one of you. If anything, I admire both of you. I’m proud of my wife for making a life for herself, not letting the pain and anguish bring her down. I’m proud of my brother for taking care of her, putting her first.”

  Ryan smiled. “We’re going to be related soon, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “And now we can all pick on Scarlet even more.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “I hope she doesn’t eat anything off the ground tonight.”

  “I hope she does. My family would get a kick out of it.”

  Ryan nodded. The sun was setting further, making the pastures dim in their vibrant colors. Even though we were on the opposite side of the house, I could still hear the ocean.

  Ryan spoke. “Scarlet didn’t really want to leave you. She was just scared.”

  “I know, Ryan.”

  “You aren’t mad at her?”

  “No. She came back. That’s all that matters.”

  “I’m really glad you two ended up together. I’ve always been rooting for you.”

  “Thanks. I’m glad I got her too. I hate to imagine my life if Penelope hadn’t cheated on me. I thought I was in love but I never was. I just believed it. It’s the most amazing feeling to be in love with someone who’s equally in love with you.”

  “Yeah, that’s how I feel with Janice.”

  “We show our love for each other in different ways, but having that trust and friendship there makes everything so much better. I’ve never been happier. I’m just glad Scarlet is stupid enough to take a chance of me. I know most girls wouldn’t.”

  “She’s never been bright.”

  I smiled. “But I like her that way.”

  “I think I’m ready to go back inside.”

  “Good. Because I’m ready to get married.”

  “And I’m ready to get rid of that annoying brat.”

  15

  Scarlet

  We stood inside the house, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Ryan held onto my arm the entire time, reassuring me he would catch me if I decided to fall.

  “So what was in the room?” he asked.

  I smiled. It was too personal to reveal to someone else. “It’s a secret.”

  “Did it make you want to marry Sean?”

  “It made me realize my doubts were misplaced.”

  He nodded. “Now I’m even more curious.”

  “This one stays between me and my husband.”

  He smiled. “I’m finally being relieved of my brotherly duties. It’s a nice feeling.”

  Cortland came to me and looked me up and down. “You look like an angel.”

  I smiled. “An angel?”

  “A beautiful one.” He hugged me. “Sean is a lucky guy.”

/>   “Thank you.”

  Janice turned to me. “It’s so beautiful out there, you won’t believe it.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  Janice smiled. “Sean put a thick walkway on the grass so you wouldn’t fall.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me.”

  The music started. Harp music started to play. It was “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. It was one Sean’s favorite songs. I smiled. “I’m ready.”

  “It’s not our turn,” Ryan said.

  The bridesmaids paired up with their groomsmen and slowly walked down the aisle. Time seem to be moving so slow. I was excited and nervous at the same time. Last time I thought I was going to be sick, but now I felt ready like I never did before. I wanted to marry Sean.

  Monnique and Janice disappeared behind the wall with their escorts. Then, Cortland walked down the aisle, walking alongside a groomsman. The harp ended and violins started to play. It was a symphony so beautiful I thought I would cry.

  “That’s our cue,” Ryan said. “I’m so glad I get to get rid of you.”

  “Is that the reason why you convinced me to come back?”

  “You caught me.”

  “Ryan, I love you so much.”

  His smile dropped and his face turned serious. I saw the sincerity in his eyes. “And I you, baby sister.”

  “You’ll always be my brother and my best friend.”

  “I know. Nothing could ever take me away from you, not even Sean.”

  I took a deep breath. “Okay. Now give me away.”

  “Scar, I’ll never give you away.” He stared into my eyes for a long time before he stepped forward, bringing me with him. We turned the corner and the light from the sunset fell on my face and my dress. I looked up and saw the rows of people before me. The pristine white chairs were decorated with purple and pink flowers. Everyone was standing, smiling at me and snapping pictures. I saw Sean’s grandpa wink at me. That made me smile as Ryan carried me forward. His arm was still as he guided me. I felt him staring at my face, watching me closely.

  When I looked forward, I saw Sean staring back at me. His eyes were rimmed with red and they became watery. Seeing him cry made me cry. I sniffed as Ryan carried me forward. He never released his hold even when my vision became blurry. Ryan continued to stare at me, a smile on his face.