by Rachel Hanna
“Because being without you is hell on Earth.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “But, you said…”
“Molly, you’re a smart girl. Don’t you understand that I had to be the world’s biggest jackass to make our breakup believable so your mom would give me that money?”
“I could’ve asked my parents for money, Austin!”
“Not without strings, you couldn’t.”
He was right about that much. “Then why didn’t you tell me what she was doing?”
“Because you’re too good a person to defraud your own mother. Look, I had to get that money for you, and I had to show your mother that I love you all at the same time.”
She couldn’t breathe. He loved her. He loved her. She just kept hearing a voice say it in her head over and over.
“You… love me?”
He walked closer and ran his hands up her arms. “Of course I do. I think you know that,” he said softly.
“I… wasn’t sure…”
“I gave you fifty-thousand dollars, Molly.”
“And then you disappeared.”
“I needed time.”
“For what?”
“To make peace with my own past. To figure out if I’m truly good enough for you.”
“And you did that?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Not really. I don’t think I’ll ever be good enough for you, but I trust your judgment. I can’t keep running from my own past. The only thing I can do is focus on a future, and I want that future to be with you. That is absolutely the only thing I’m sure of in my life.”
She had never heard more beautiful words. “So you’re staying in January Cove?”
“I’m staying wherever you’re staying, Molly James.”
There was that cute dimple again, the one she wanted to lick right about now.
“I love you,” she said with a big grin as she threw her arms around his neck.
“I love you too.”
“And if you ever act like that to me again, pretend or not, I’ll hurt you!” she said as she smacked him on the back.
“Noted.”
The Parker family gathered around the large table in the dining room, Clay sitting at the head of the table about to carve the turkey. It was the perfect picture of family and fun.
“I’d like to propose a toast,” Addison said as she stood beside Clay. “To my brothers and their beautiful ladies, may God continue to bless you with years of special moments ahead. I’m so thankful for you and the closeness we all share.”
“Hear, hear!” Brad yelled as his girlfriend, Ronni, lightly slapped him on the arm.
“Mind if I make a toast?” Austin asked, which was completely out of character for him. Addison smiled and nodded. He stood up, glass of sweet tea in hand and raised it up. “Over the course of my life, I haven’t had a lot to be grateful for, or at least that’s what I thought. A few weeks ago, that all changed when one beautiful woman smiled at me for the first time. Well, actually, she knocked me over the first time she met me. And then she was rude for awhile…”
“Dude, I think you’re messing this toast thing up…” Clay said under his breath. Everyone laughed.
“Anyway, today I just want to say how thankful I am for Molly because she has shown me what love really is and I can’t wait to share the rest of my Thanksgivings with her.”
A collective “awwww” filled the room as Molly grinned from ear to ear. She wanted to say her own toast, but everyone was ready to eat and Anna Grace was already wiggling in her highchair. When the room was loud again, she leaned over to Austin and said, “Today, I’m thankful for Fake Blake.”
He smiled and nodded in agreement.
Chapter 1
Paige stood on the balcony of the penthouse overlooking Manhattan and sighed. It was a beautiful place, but not where she necessarily thought she’d end up at this stage of her life. Her free spirit nature had led her here originally, but love had kept her here for the last six months.
She snuggled into the plush white bathrobe and eased back into the wrought iron chair as she sipped her coffee. It was bitter mixed with sweet, an irony that wasn’t lost on her when she thought about her fiancé and his family. Bitter mixed with sweet.
She’d originally met Daniel Richmond, eventual heir to the Richmond real estate fortune, six months ago at a charitable event where she was serving appetizers. He’d caught her eye the moment he walked in, wearing his black Italian suit. She wasn’t hung up on money or status; in fact, it turned her off most of the time. Instead, she’d noticed the kindness in his eyes and the sparkle of his perfect smile. She’d never seen teeth so white and straight in person.
He was flanked that evening by his mother and sister, both the epitome of snobbery. But not Daniel. He was grounded, happy and focused on what people were saying to him. Yet he kept looking at her. Smiling at her.
Once his family had left the event, he’d cornered her and started a conversation - at first, about the charity. But eventually, he’d gotten her number and promptly called her the next day.
The rest, as they say, is history.
And just last night, in the middle of Central Park, he’d dropped to one knee and proposed. She’d felt like she was in the middle of a fairytale, and she didn’t want to wake up. Daniel was everything to her. He said all the right things, did all the right things. He was more than she ever thought she deserved.
But today was the day they were going to tell the good news to his mother, and she wasn’t going to like it. Not one bit. She’d done everything in her power to make Paige feel like an outsider, like a “less than”.
“Good morning,” Daniel said, leaning down and kissing her on the top of her head.
“Good morning, my fiancé,” she said, her smile gleaming in the morning sun. “I still can’t believe I’m going to be Mrs. Paige Richmond soon.”
Daniel smiled. “And I couldn’t be happier, my love. We’re going to do great things together.”
Daniel had big plans, but they didn’t involve real estate. Although he stood to inherit the family fortune, he was more interested in being a full-time philanthropist and starting his own charity. They were going to give to the poorest of the poor all over the world, and they planned to travel to Africa shortly after their honeymoon to put wells in ten different villages.
Her life was going to mean something because of Daniel.
Her upbringing hadn’t been the best. Born and raised in a small Tennessee town, Paige had been abandoned by her teenage mother as an infant. She was bounced from one inadequate foster family to another until she ended up in the home of Ada Housley when she was thirteen years old.
Ada was an older woman in her seventies who was known for taking in “problem children”, and Paige was definitely classified as one during her formative years. Ada had been patient and kind, but she was older and it was pretty embarrassing for Paige when she’d show up at school with her cane.
When Paige was seventeen and had just graduated from high school, Ada passed away and she was left alone once again. So, she decided to become a bit of a gypsy, moving from place to place, taking on odd jobs to make ends meet. She’d lived in seedy motels and occasionally under a bridge, but she had lived life on her own terms. And surprisingly, she was happy most of the time.
She had worked the oddest jobs during that period of her life. Singing on the street, though she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. Working as a waitress at a zombie themed diner. Handing out goat food at a small petting zoo. But all of those weird and wacky jobs had sustained her for years on end as she made her way up the East coast.
After a few years, she’d ended up in New York City at the age of twenty-three. Tired of traveling and living on scraps, she’d found a job working with a catering company as a server at high end parties. It was a dream job for her because she’d never seen such luxury, although she went home to her roach-infested motel room for weeks until she could afford even the most modest apartment about forty-five
minutes from the city.
Life hadn’t been easy for Paige at all, but she took it in stride most of the time. She was proud of herself and how she’d somehow managed to survive with just the internal fortitude she had. And normally, she was full of confidence, but when it came to dealing with Daniel’s mother, Madeline Richmond, she was like a puddle of goo on the floor.
She stumbled over her words and had no idea what to say. She stammered and stuttered and her hands would sweat profusely, not to mention the rivers of sweat rolling between her boobs. She worried that she’d start dripping onto the elegant marble floors in Madeline’s home at some point soon.
Madeline had been rude to Paige over and over again, usually when Daniel wasn’t in the room. But when he left to use the restroom or take a phone call, Madeline would make it quite clear that, in her eyes, Paige was not nearly good enough for her only son. And his money.
Daniel’s father had died when he was a teenager, and his intention was for his son to continue running his real estate empire with an iron fist just like he had. Madeline inherited everything upon his death, but she too planned for her son to take things over and soon. The fact that he hadn’t done so yet was bothersome to Madeline as she really wanted to spend her days shopping and getting pampered instead of running a multi-million dollar real estate conglomerate.
And then there was his sister - Tori Richmond-Gallagher. She was tall, perfectly built by the most popular personal trainers money could buy - not to mention the plastic surgeons - and married to Hampton Gallagher. His family ran vineyards from California to Italy, and his money was more than enough for her although her father had left her a trust fund before his death that would make sure she was never without all of the trappings that immense wealth could buy.
Paige had mentioned his mother’s dislike of her to Daniel many times, but Daniel had always said things like, “she’ll come around” or “she’s just hard to get to know”, but it didn’t seem like either of those comments were true.
“I just called my mother, and she’s expecting us for brunch in about an hour and a half,” he said, sitting down in the chair across from her and holding her hand. “I can’t wait to tell her our good news.”
“Daniel, you realize your mother isn’t going to be happy about this, right?”
“I think you’re misjudging her, sweetie. She only wants me to be happy, and being with you makes me happy.” He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, sending shivers up her body.
“Don’t get that started,” she murmured against his lips. “We don’t have time for that again…”
He slid his hand into her robe, exposing part of her chest. “There’s always time for that…”
And now they were going to be late.
They pulled into the driveway of the Richmond mansion a little after ten. Madeline wasn’t going to be happy that her son was late for brunch, but Paige could hardly be upset about it. He was good at a lot of things, and this morning he’d shown her just how good he was yet again.
Six months was quick when it came to dating and marriage, but Paige was ready to settle down in her life and she knew Daniel was the one. She figured why wait when you know the person is your soulmate?
“Ready?” Daniel asked as they slowly walked up the brick staircase.
“Nope,” Paige said, a nervous smile on her face. “But when has that ever stopped me from doing something?”
Daniel rang the bell, an odd thing to do at his own mother’s house, but then his mother had weird requirements about a lot of things. Her butler - yes, an honest to God English butler named Edward - opened the door.
He wore a suit, not a tuxedo as most butlers had in the movies Paige had seen.
“Good morning, Mr. Richmond. Miss Emerson,” he said with his regal sounding accent. “Glad you could join us.” A stab of sarcasm, probably straight from Madeline Richmond herself.
He led them straight to the dining room where his mother and sister sat at the table. To his sister’s right was her husband, Hampton. The trio looked at Paige and smiled, their faces hardly moving from the immense Botox.
“Good morning,” Madeline said, standing and hugging her son. She ignored Paige and sat back down. Daniel pulled out Paige’s chair and then sat down beside her.
“Good morning, everyone,” Daniel said as the butler put a plate in front of him and Paige. There were wine glasses filled with orange juice as well as fresh croissants on the table.
“Daniel, it’s proper etiquette to always be on time for your commitments, dear,” his mother said. “I certainly hope you don’t keep our clients waiting this way.”
“Mother, we were less than ten minutes late,” he said. The fact that he had to answer to his mother like a child made Paige crazy. Having never had a mother, though, she didn’t know if she was just sensitive or if she was completely right.
“Hello, Paige,” Madeline finally said, looking her way only briefly before she turned to her daughter. “Tori, your hair looks beautiful that way…”
And again, Paige felt woefully out of place. Mansions and fancy brunches were not her “thing”, but she did them for Daniel. Her hope was that after they got married, he would break away from his mother’s death grip and they could start a life together their own way.
“How’s your omelet?” Daniel whispered to Paige.
“Very good,” Paige said. “I just don’t…”
“What’s that, dear?” Madeline said loudly as she eavesdropped on their private conversation.
Paige looked up and cleared her throat. “I… I was just going to say that I don’t like green peppers.” Madeline glanced down at Paige’s plate where she had segregated all of the green chunks to one side of her plate.
“Well, we’ll make note of that for next time,” Madeline said with a fake smile. “Or perhaps you could broaden your horizons.”
“Mother…” Daniel warned.
“Hampton, I tasted your new wine last evening. It was a wonderful addition to dinner,” she said, totally ignoring her son’s comment.
“Everyone, I have an announcement to make,” Daniel suddenly said. Paige reached under the table and dug her fingernails into his leg. He jolted and then grabbed her hand in his. Surely he didn’t think now was the best time to tell everyone about their engagement. His mother was acting like a cornered rattlesnake at the moment.
Everyone around the table went silent, and Paige felt uncomfortable under their gaze.
“Yes, dear?” Madeline said, her syrupy sweet voice grating on Paige’s last nerve.
“Well, we have some good news,” Daniel said, putting his arm around Paige as she looked up at him. “Last night, I proposed to Paige and she said yes. We’re getting married!”
Then the world stopped spinning. Paige didn’t know that silence could be so deafening. It was one of those moments where she could have literally heard a pin drop, and she kind of wanted to yank out her earring and toss it onto the floor to both test the theory and distract herself with the pain of a ripped earlobe.
“Excuse me… what?” Madeline finally breathed out, and Paige was unable to stop herself from looking at her mother-in-law-to-be. The woman looked positively dumbfounded, shocked and nauseous all at the same time.
And then there was his sister, Tori. She was frozen in place, a piece of her omelet dangling off the fork she held midair, her mouth gaping open.
“I said we’re engaged, Mother. You should be smiling right now,” Daniel prodded. Still, his mother and sister sat shellshocked.
“Congratulations, Daniel. And you too, Paige,” Hampton finally said. Paige could tell he was just going through the motions and didn’t really mean it, but someone had to break the thick smog of silence in the dining room.
“Would anyone like more orange juice?” Edward the butler said as he walked through the archway from the kitchen. Unaware of the current situation in the room, Edward had inadvertently allowed everyone to get their bearings as he nonchalantly walked around
the table pouring more liquid into each glass.
“Daniel, may I speak with you privately please?” Madeline said, her lips pierced so tightly that Paige was sure her cheeks might split open at any minute. Daniel shot a glance at his fiancee with an apologetic smile and stood up, following her out of the room.
Daniel stood across from his mother in the downstairs office and watched her pace back and forth for a moment before she came to stop in front of him again.
“Are you insane, Daniel?”
“Excuse me?”
“Look, I understand that men have needs…”
“Mother, stop! You’re being crude,” he said. “And this isn’t about my ‘manly needs’. I love Paige.”
“Sweetheart, I know you think you love her. I get it. Once, back in college, I dated a boy who grew up on a farm. But I realized quickly that it couldn’t work, and I married your father.”
“Wow. What an amazing love story,” Daniel said dryly, sitting down on the edge of the huge mahogany desk. “You should write poetry or something.”
“Son, I want you to be happy. I truly do. And there’s no way this girl will make you happy. You need someone who challenges you. Who complements you.”
“And how do you know Paige isn’t that woman? You barely know her, and you certainly haven’t made any effort to get to know her.”
“Daniel, she’s a former homeless person with no family and no career. She’s not worthy of…”
“Our fortune? Isn’t that what this is all about, Mother? The money?”
Madeline jutted her chin out and looked down her long, slender nose at her son. “We are the most respected family on the East coast, and I won’t have you marrying some degenerate gypsy.”
“Enough!” Daniel shouted in a loud whisper. He stood and faced his mother once again. “Paige makes me happy, and I’m sorry you’re not okay with that, but I won’t be bullied into the life you want me to live.”
Daniel started walking toward the door. “Think of your father, Daniel.” He stopped and slowly turned back to her.
