by Nikki Larson
Gwenna sniffled and sighed. “Yeah,” she said. “I kept dreaming about telling. Scary, bad dreams. Maybe now the bad dreams will stop.”
“Oh, I think so,” Thea assured her. “I think so.”
Chapter 22
The ensuing lawsuit alleged that Mr. Gregory Hunt was eccentric, mentally unstable and unable to make a balanced decision regarding his children. Not only that, but since Grunt was now deceased, Galina wanted full rights to his children, to her sister Nichole’s children. But nothing had come of it, because it was frivolous, and libelous, and she had no legal rights to them. Grunt’s will had specified, much to Lucas’ surprise, that Lucas was to be the guardian of the children. Thankfully, the judge decided that Galina’s claims were unfounded. However, Galina was not one to give up easily. Lucas knew this.
Rumor had it that she was in dire straits with her finances, having overspent all the years after her divorce. Her proposed plan was to market the children, to get them into modeling or acting and have them save her from a dismal financial situation.
When he’d seen her in court, Lucas noted that she definitely was not the Galina he once knew. She looked worn out and tired, and the light that he’d once seen in her was just a faded memory, a flicker in danger of going out. She was just flexing her muscles, contesting the will and trying to get the kids. Lucas knew she’d been in a very bad place since her career in acting took a nosedive, but her methods and plans were despicable.
Lucas knew Galina probably loved the children on some level. After all, they were her sister’s children. But her desire to use them for her benefit was far too great. Though he had some measure of compassion on her, there was not anything he could do for her. He had his own problems to worry about.
His concern now was for Thea, and the children. What was best for them? Their plans to go to Saint Cathay had been derailed, since they’d had to remain in the U.S. for the required court dates. There was nothing fair about it, but it was what it was. It was mostly Grunt’s dream, anyway, not Lucas’.
Thea had not moved off the yacht. She was needed even more now that Grunt had passed away. Lucas was grateful for her, and he told her so often.
He had decided the children would be best staying with his sister Stephanie for a few days, and she had agreed to watch them. Lucas supposed all the times he’d asked for such a favor and had been turned down stirred up enough guilt in his sister that she finally felt compelled to say yes. That, and she knew about the terrible tragedy of Mr. Hunt dying and leaving his children behind as orphans.
Lucas had confided in her since the beginning. She was one of the only people on earth he trusted with the truth. She didn’t approve of his choices, his decision to agree to such deception, pretending that the children were his. Which is why she’d always resisted helping him with them. But now, he supposed, her compassion was aroused and thankfully she was able to get her husband to agree that Lucas needed some time to grieve and figure out what to do next.
Thea came to join him just before sunset on the expansive wooden deck near the pool. She was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, blue, beneath a see-through cover-up. The effect was alluring, highlighting her curves, drawing his attention to the shapeliness and slenderness of her legs. There was a danger in the peek-a-boo effect of the flimsy, transparent fabric, and Lucas knew it was deliberate. People designed such clothing to be this way, and he must say it was definitely achieving the effect intended.
He no longer knew if he was supposed to keep his distance or not. His boss was gone, though his grief was not, and he didn’t have to worry anymore about what Grunt might think about Lucas’ budding relationship with Thea. But a part of him was still wary, unsure, feeling guilty. Why guilt wafted up, he had no idea. But it was a gnawing pain, a stubborn feeling that just wouldn’t go away. Something didn’t feel right, and Lucas didn’t know what it was. At the moment, he could ignore it. He was able to stuff it down, at least, and keep it at bay for now.
“You look stunning,” he said, moving towards her, reaching his hand around her waist and drawing her close. He hadn’t intended to kiss her, but it was so natural to be close to her, and she was so incredibly beautiful, he was drawn in, lured like a man to a mermaid.
Her lips were warm and soft, and she kissed him with a tenderness that made him want her all the more. He kissed her passionately, teasing, starting then stopping, letting the desire build in both of them.
“Lucas,” she said finally, now breathless.
“Yes,” he murmured, kissing her neck.
“I love you.”
The words caught him by surprise, and a whirlwind of emotions came over him, carrying him away. “I love you, too, baby,” he said huskily. His throat constricted with emotion, and he thought he just might cry.
“I love you,” Thea repeated sweetly, “and that is why we have to have a talk.”
“Talk?” he nearly choked on the word. This was never a good thing, when women wanted to have a talk. Having a talk was different from just talking. Pulling a man aside to have a talk was one of the most intimidating things a woman could do.
He was hoping she would laugh and tell him to lighten up, that what she had to say was nothing to be concerned about. He was hoping she would tickle his ribs and tell him she was only kidding. But she did neither of those things. Her face was as serious and pensive as he had ever seen.
“Is there a problem?” he asked her. He could have kicked himself for sounding so worried.
“Well…,” she began. “Somewhat.”
Why she was being vague, he had no idea. But the suspense was killing him, making him feel weak and powerless.
“Just tell me,” he told her.
“I know you’re not the kids’ dad,” she said.
“What?” He was stalling, buying time by questioning her assertion. But what could he say? She was absolutely right. “Why do you think I’m not their dad?”
It was a weak question, and his voice rose in pitch as he asked it. He was getting nothing by her. But he couldn’t quite admit it just yet.
“Lucas,” she said in a scolding tone, rather like his mother when she was angry with him, “I know, okay? You weren’t honest with me. Look, you’re still not being honest with me.”
He hated to see the distrust in her eyes. He had failed her, and she had every right to be mad. “No, I’m not their dad,” he finally admitted. No need to give away any more information than that, though.
“Why would you lead me to believe you were? Was it some kind of game?” Her voice was biting, bitter.
“It wasn’t a game, really.” He searched her eyes for an ounce of compassion. “Well, I guess it was a game. Maybe my whole life is a game,” he said sadly.
“Your whole life is a game?” Her anger was escalating. He could see fury behind her eyes.
“I guess so,” he admitted. What else would you call it? He’d bought into the façade; he’d been lured into the whirlwind game of money and power, of smoke and mirrors. And he’d gotten nothing out of it. Nothing, that is, except a yacht and a few billion dollars. But what was that compared to what was truly important in life? What was that compared to real love? All he wanted now was Thea, but currently she hated him.
“You know, I am done with this,” Thea told him, as his heart sank to the floor. “You lied to me. You made me think you were something you were not. I just don’t get it. Why would you pretend something like that? What would you have to gain?”
“A yacht,” he confided in her. “A lifestyle, I guess. Billions of dollars.” He shrugged his shoulders. “It wasn’t worth it.”
Thea stormed away, and he was sad to watch her go.
Chapter 23
She packed her stuff in a flurry of anger, throwing clothes into her suitcases, into the very suitcases she had recently unpacked. Teeth clenched tightly, she went to her private bathroom and emptied all the drawers–her makeup, her hairbrushes and combs, her hair dryer–into a box she had stashed in the closet. Good
thing she’d brought only her essentials, she thought as she scooped her Sunday school stories and tucked them into the canvas bag with her name embroidered on it. Miss Thea, it read. The name pierced her heart, as it reminded her of the four Flaire kids and how much she would miss them.
But she was used to change. She was resilient. She would be fine. It wasn’t the first time her heart had been broken by circumstances beyond her control.
The sun was setting now–setting the sky afire with oranges, pinks, and purples–almost mocking the blackness of her heart. This was no time for beauty, no time for sentimental thoughts or beautiful, God-breathed scenes. She was bent on letting the anger build, hoping it would give her the energy to pack up all her stuff quickly and hightail it out of there before the kids noticed she was leaving.
And that’s when she remembered that they were with their Aunt Stephanie.
She’d likely never see them again.
Of course she wouldn’t. This was the way it was as a nanny. You’d get attached to children who weren’t yours, and then they’d be ripped away from you, just like that, through nothing of your own doing. Their parents would move, or the children would grow up and go off to school, needing only a few hours of care at a friend’s house, or after-school care on-site at whatever school they were attending.
She’d just have to develop a thick skin, a stubbornness against always being sad and missing the kids she had gotten to know as her own.
She hadn’t meant to get so close to all the children in her care. It just happened. All the kids were adorable, in so many ways. They were so gifted and talented. It was fascinating to see how God had wired each one, to see what gifts were theirs to use for his glory.
And at the thought of that word–glory–Thea weakened and crumpled to the floor, sobbing.
“You don’t have to do this, you know.”
It was Lucas, standing there in the doorway, with a stupid grin on his face, as if with one sentence he could win her back and all their problems would be erased.
“How could you do this to me?” she shrieked, throwing her hands down to her sides. “You lied to me! You let me think those beautiful children were yours! You let me think you were a nice guy, one who actually cared about me. But you built me up only to let go and let me fall. It was all a ruse, a charade, a game to you. I’m nothing but a game to you, Mr. Lucas Flaire, and I won’t let you manipulate me any longer. I’ve had it with you, with you and your tricks and your teases and… and….” She couldn’t even think of the words, she was so infuriated.
“Thea, I never meant to hurt you,” he said softly. “You’ve got to believe me.”
She felt her heart weaken just a little at his tone, at his kind-sounding words. But she had to remain strong. “Whether you meant to hurt me or not, you deceived me. You deceived everybody. Did you know that the press thinks you are these children’s father?” She searched his crystal blue eyes, which glittered like diamonds though his heart was evil. “Of course, you do,” she hissed. “I should have listened to Raven,” she told him. “She told me you were some sort of imposter, but I didn’t know what she meant and I guess I didn’t want to know. Because I neglected to ask her. I should have followed up, asked her what she meant by that. But no. I stuffed reality underneath a blanket. Buried it in the sand. I hid the truth even from myself. What a fool I’ve been, for not even taking the time to find out the truth. I let you manipulate me into believing a lie. Do you know how much I hate lies?”
“No,” Lucas said, a dumbfounded look on his face–though he stayed planted in one place, letting her continue her rant.
“I hate lies!” she yelled. She was completely out of control now, and she knew it, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Flynn was a liar, you know that? The whole time he was engaged to me he was having a fling with Persephone!”
“Stephanie?” Lucas’ eyes widened with wonder and his mouth dropped open.
“No, not Stephanie, you fool. Persephone, the girl he’s engaged to now. It’s a Greek name. A terrible Greek name that means wife of the god of the underworld. Isn’t that fitting?”
“I suppose so,” Lucas agreed. “Look, before you go, there’s something else I should tell you.”
She could only glare at him and permit him to continue.
“I’m not a billionaire. I mean, well, now I am, because Grunt left me all his money. But when I hired you for Grunt, I wasn’t.”
Still she stared, but said nothing.
“I just want to be upfront with you,” he said sadly.
“Why start now?” she shrieked. “You think I care about money? You think that just because you’re rich I will be all impressed and want you for my own? Well, I don’t. If you think I care a wit about money, you are sorely mistaken. I don’t want you or your money, Mr. Lucas Flaire, Billionaire.”
“Okay, then,” he relented.
She couldn’t let his sadness reel her in again, couldn’t dare to let him influence her one way or another. She would make her own decisions. She would call the shots. And what she wanted right now was to get as far away from Lucas Flaire as she possibly could.
Chapter 24
Lucas tracked down Thea’s pastor as quickly as he could. From the business card Thea had accidentally left underneath the bed, it wasn’t hard at all. Rock Church, the card read, Pastor Rogue McGraw. The phone number was local, and the church was located just down the street, according to the thumbnail-sized map on the card.
His hands trembled as he dialed the number.
“Yello,” a man drawled in answer. “Pastor Rogue here.”
“Hey, yes, um,” Lucas began. “I’m Lucas Flaire. You wouldn’t happen to do any counseling, would you? I think I’m in need of a little help,” he considered. “Yes, some help would be great.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Flaire,” Pastor Rogue responded. “What time would you like to come in?”
“Today?” Lucas asked, incredulous.
“My schedule is wide open,” Rogue replied kindly in a Southern drawl.
“Um, yes,” Lucas said, trying to gain his composure, trying to feel like his usual self again. “How does two o’clock sound? Can you do two o’clock?”
“Sure thing,” the pastor replied.
“In the church office?” Lucas asked.
“Yes. Just check in at the church office and the secretary will point you in the right direction.”
“I appreciate that,” Lucas said.
When he hung up, he paced the yacht’s interior, taking visual inventory of every inch of it. It helped keep his mind off what a schmuck he had been.
But was it all his fault, really?
Who wouldn’t have accepted such an offer from Grunt–Take care of my kids, pretend to be their dad, accompany my wife on her tours, pretend to be her husband, keep your mouth shut, and you’ll inherit my fortune, along with my prized luxury yacht?
Who wouldn’t have?
But still, it was the wrong choice.
Because of the deception involved, it was the wrong choice.
“Deception is folly.”
The words popped into his mind, but he hadn’t asked for them, and at the moment he couldn’t recall where they might be from.
“Thou shalt not lie.”
His conscience was certainly talking to him, but was there actually was a commandment like that or not? Certainly the Bible says not to lie. But Lucas hadn’t lied, exactly, had he? Hadn’t he just agreed to not disclose the truth? Was that the same thing? It wasn’t exactly clear.
What was becoming quite clear to him, however, was that he should have never agreed to the deceptive deal with Mr. Hunt. Just look at all the trouble it had gotten him, he thought as he set the security alarms and headed out to see the pastor.
Chapter 25
Thea drove the twenty minutes to the house she shared with her sister, Raven, and Raven’s husband, Wesley, in a cute little town called Willow Springs. They lived in a charming little neighborhood near a pristine-lo
oking lake, complete with a gazebo, sweetgum trees, and white roses. This neighborhood was a quaint-looking oasis, a family-oriented community tucked away on the north side of the town of Willow Springs, not too far from the wineries and the shopping mall. Thea had always loved the greenery here, and the beautifully landscaped walking paths which weaved their way through the neighborhood. It reminded her of Woodbridge in Irvine, where she’d had a nanny job once.
The neighborhood and its surroundings were beautiful, always a wonderful place to calm her nerves and relax. Today she would gather her thoughts and prayerfully decide where to go next. If only her sister’s husband was okay with her staying there. But it wasn’t fair to him, and Thea knew it.
“What’s going on? You look devastated.” Raven said as Thea walked in the door.
Thea’s hand grasped more tightly around the handle of her rolling suitcase. “Um,” she said, tilting her head as if listening for a word from God on what to say. How could she explain exactly?
“Ah,” Raven said, her eyes lighting up knowingly. “It has to do with that billionaire, doesn’t it?”
Thea sighed deeply but couldn’t find it within herself to respond.
“Let’s talk,” Raven offered. “I just baked cookies.” She welcomed her little sister into the kitchen and set her up with lemonade and a warm chocolate chip cookie. “So, you finally found out I was right about him, didn’t you?”
Raven was not one for tact. She cared more about being right than about hurting her sister’s feelings.
Thea gave Raven a hard stare before answering. “You had to say that, didn’t you?” She then offered Raven a placating smile. She just couldn’t be angry at her older sister. Though Raven could be overbearing, she was often right, and it would do Thea well if she would listen to her once in a while.
