by Sofia Tate
Blakely’s stomach dropped as she looked up to the ceiling in frustration. “No, Daddy, please don’t fix me up. I’m begging you.”
Gigi’s eyes widened in surprise as she listened to Blakely’s end of the conversation.
“You can thank me later.”
“Daddy, if you insist on fixing me up with someone, couldn’t we just have a casual dinner one night and not some fancy party at the house?”
“Nonsense. How better to show him what a catch you are than to have him meet you at a party where you’re the guest of honor? Mother and I will take care of the party arrangements. Send me a guest list ASAP.”
Blakely looked at Gigi in the eye. “I can tell you right now who I want there. Georgina and Sean. That’s it.”
Gigi nodded her acceptance without even knowing what she was agreeing to.
“We’ll see. Just get back to me by the end of the day tomorrow.”
Blakely sighed. “Fine, Daddy. Thank you for doing this.”
“Goodbye, Blakely.”
The phone clicked loudly in Blakely’s ear.
Gigi looked at her best friend with concern. “Is it as bad as I think it is?”
Blakely nodded. “My father wants to throw a party for me. Can you and Sean come?”
“I don’t know if Sean can, but you can count on me.”
Blakely reached across the table to hold Gigi’s hand in gratitude. “Thanks.”
“What was that about fixing you up?”
“My father wants to set me up with someone,” Blakely groaned. “He’s probably worried he won’t have any grandchildren to carry on the Pierce name. This is a new one for him. He must think I’m getting old or something. Anyway, should we order—”
Gigi was biting her lower lip, suddenly looking nervous.
“What is it?” Blakely asked.
“I don’t even know if I should be telling you this…”
“Spit it out.”
“It kind of has to do with him.”
Blakely exhaled. “Go ahead, you can say his name.”
Gigi leaned forward, folding her hands together. “It’s the ranch. Malachy called Sean’s dad and told him that the ranch is going to be foreclosed in less than ninety days if they can’t pay off their debts.”
Blakely’s mouth dropped in shock. “What?”
“There’s more. They’re thinking of selling some of the land to make the payments.”
Blakely’s heart started to pound in her chest, her stomach forming tight knots.
“Do you know which land in particular?”
“Some of the property around the lake. I don’t know which part specifically, but when Ronan found out, apparently he stormed out of the office and disappeared for the rest of the day.”
Blakely’s heart fell, chills wracking her body.
Oh God. No.
Memories began to flash through her mind—the taste of the comfort food she shared with Ronan for their picnic, the bite of the pine bark he pressed her against when she broke down. She remembered the hard ground under the blanket the first time she felt his mouth devour her breasts, and the chill of icy cold lake water as she and Ronan splashed at each other playfully before they made love again.
Gigi’s eyes narrowed. “Blakely, are you mad that I told you?”
“Oh, umm…no, no, it’s fine,” she stammered. “I’m glad you did.” Blakely’s hand shook as she picked up her purse. “I’m going downstairs to the restroom. Order me the crème brulee while I’m gone.”
“Sure. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Oh yeah. No worries. I’ll be right back.”
On rubbery legs that barely held her up, Blakely fought through the scrum of people waiting inside the front entrance and made her way down to the ladies’ room. By some miracle, there was no line. She rushed as quickly as she could into the first stall and slammed it shut.
She leaned against the cool tile of the wall. One hand clamped over her mouth, the other against the wall to steady herself. Her eyes flooded with tears. She held her mouth closed as she suppressed the cries that were attempting to voice themselves. Her entire body shook.
Ronan, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.
When she finally stepped out of the stall, Blakely knew the other women were looking at her, but she ignored them. She splashed cold water on her face and fixed her makeup.
As she climbed the stairs back up to her table, she knew Gigi would ask what was wrong. She would just say she felt ill. She couldn’t tell her the truth, because she herself couldn’t even admit it to herself. That she had made a mistake.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Driving back from the realtor’s office, Ronan could barely concentrate on the road. He had missed the agent’s initial meeting with his parents, so he had to make a separate trip to see her. She knew the area well, and everything she told him was positive. She was sure she’d be able to find a buyer for the property, especially with the lake as incentive.
As pleased as he was that the sale would get his family out of debt, it still hurt when he thought about what would be disappearing from his life. That section of the lake was a part of him. He’d discovered it when he was a teenager, going there when he needed privacy from his parents and two younger brothers. Now, Blakely had made the lake even more sacred to him. He wished he could rid Blakely from his memory permanently, but it was useless. She took up almost every waking moment. He didn’t know how to exorcise her for good.
Ronan was approaching Blossom Market, and he remembered he had practically no food in his fridge. He pulled into the parking lot. Once inside, he went up and down the aisles, putting bread, pasta, a rotisserie chicken, and a package of cold cuts into his cart.
When he arrived at the dairy section, he reached for the whole milk when something caught his eye. There was a new option for milk. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
Three varieties of almond milk were staring back him: original, vanilla, and unsweetened.
Ronan’s mouth dropped.
Damn it! Stop haunting me, woman!
He picked up one carton of the original version and began to read its chart of nutrition facts.
A loud voice interrupted his study. “Hey, Ronan!”
Ronan looked up to see Jack Neary carrying a basket loaded with a six pack of beer, a jar of salsa, and a bag of tortilla chips.
“Oh, hey, Jack. How’s it going?”
Jack shrugged his shoulders. “No complaints.” He looked over at the shelf. “Almond milk? Since when did they start selling that here? Must be for all the city people coming in now buying up property. You’re not thinking of trying it, are you?”
Feigning surprise, Ronan looked what he was holding and put it back on the shelf. “Oh, no. I must’ve picked up the wrong thing. I was looking for the whole one.”
Jack pointed to the correct carton. “It’s right there, man.”
Ronan nodded slowly, “So it is.”
“Everything good with you?”
Ronan calmed his voice so he wouldn’t give anything away. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“Great. I’d love to talk some more, but I gotta go. Just stopped in to get snacks for the game tonight. I’ll see you later.”
“See ya, Jack.”
Once Jack was gone, Ronan grabbed the almond milk and shoved it into his cart, hiding it under the cold cuts.
As Blakely stepped into the marble foyer of her parents’ duplex on Sutton Place, she could hear the fluid sounds of a Bach concerto being played on the family’s grand piano. A tall man with a head of neatly groomed white hair approached the entryway. Dressed impeccably in a pressed black suit and tie with a white shirt, Albert, the Pierce family butler, smiled at her. He had worked for them since she was a child, and she thought of him as her second father.
“Good evening, Miss Blakely.”
She started to take off her coat, and Albert removed it from her shoulders. “Hi, Albert. How’s the party?”
“Loud. And you didn
’t wait until I opened the door for you, young lady,” he gently scolded her.
Blakely held up her keys and shook them like a baby’s rattle in his face.
“Yes, that’s adorable,” he mocked her. Albert stepped back and admired her. “You look lovely.”
Blakely was genuinely touched as she adjusted her red lace cocktail dress. “Thank you, Albert.”
She turned toward the direction of the party. “Wish me luck.”
“Godspeed, my dear.”
Blakely let out a deep breath and walked down the hallway into the living room. Spotting her in the doorway, her father shouted out, “There she is! My little girl!”
Blakely rolled her eyes as the sound of applause deafened the room, overtaking the lovely notes from the pianist. She watched in a bizarre sense of awe as the guests parted to make a path for Blake Pierce IV as he made his way to his daughter. He gave her a weak embrace and whispered in her ear, “Red, Blakely? Really?”
Blakely fumed. “For godsakes, Daddy, it’s Valentino.”
“Next time, try something more subtle.”
Mr. Pierce pulled away and signaled to a waiter passing by with a tray of crystal flutes filled with champagne. He took two and handed one to his daughter.
He spoke up to the guests. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re here tonight to honor my beautiful daughter, my namesake, Blakely Pierce, for everything that she’s achieved. She’s about to become the youngest partner in the history of Powell & McLean, and her mother and I are thrilled and proud beyond words. Please raise your glasses to my daughter. To Blakely!”
The room echoed with cheers of “To Blakely!”
Blakely barely finished her first sip when her father took her elbow. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Blakely frowned. “I need to mingle first, Daddy, if that’s allowed.”
He turned away so the guests couldn’t see his expression. “Don’t take that tone with me. I’ll come look for you in five minutes.”
Blakely gritted her teeth. “Fine.”
Suddenly, a shout broke through the noise of the party. “Pierce!”
Blakely saw her junior colleagues and protégés, Paul Romano and Steven Kennedy, headed in her direction. When they reached her, the two men embraced her.
Steven held out his glass to clink with Blakely’s and Paul’s. “Congrats, Blakely. You deserve it.”
The three of them touched glasses. “Thank you, Steve. Enjoying the party?” she asked.
Paul nodded his head enthusiastically. “You kidding? Your parents sure know how to live it up.” He looked over at the other end of the room and nudged his friend. “Hey, do we know those two girls from somewhere?”
Steven glanced in their direction. “I don’t think so, but let’s go find out. See you, Pierce.”
Blakely shook her head amusedly. “Have a good time, guys.”
Guests came up to Blakely without end, congratulating her on her success. She realized she didn’t even know most of them. They were friends of her parents, mostly her father. She nodded absently, feeling like a stranger in her own childhood home.
She realized she was starving and headed for the dining room where a sumptuous buffet had been arranged. The colors of the food dazzled her—the greens of the various salads, three different shades of rice, the coral of the crab legs. Against the light from the chandelier above, the caviar looked like shiny black pearls. The smell of the thick, juicy slices of prime rib being carved at the end of the table made Blakely’s mouth water.
Blakely picked up a plate when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and saw her two bosses, Clayton and Spencer, standing together.
She put her plate back down to give them her full attention. “Gentlemen, I’m so pleased you could make it.”
Clayton nodded his head. “We wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Spencer and I want you to know how incredibly proud we are of you, Blakely. We always suspected you would go far.”
Blakely grinned. “Thank you both for the opportunity and everything you’ve done for me.”
Each man embraced her. As they began to walk away, Clayton turned back one last time. “Blakely, I almost forgot to tell you. There’s a potential client we’d like you to meet with next week. He owns a chain of hotels that are in desperate need of restructuring. I’ll email you the details and we’ll talk on Monday.”
She nodded. “Sounds good, sir. I’ll look forward to it. Enjoy the party.”
Finally free from socializing, Blakely picked up her plate and was about to dig into the salad when her father’s voice interrupted her.
“Blakely, please come with me.”
“Daddy, I’m starving. Could you give me a minute so I can eat something at least?”
“I gave you ten minutes. Now, Blakely.”
For the second time, Blakely put down her plate. She followed her father back into the living room. A tall man with slicked back brown hair wearing a dark blue Gucci suit was leaning against the piano.
Blakely sighed in exasperation.
Christ, he’s wearing more product in his hair than I am.
Mr. Pierce stopped and let Blakely go ahead of him. “Blakely, this is Ross Dillane. Ross, allow me to introduce my beautiful daughter, Blakely. Ross’ father is the CEO of Dillane Enterprises.”
Blakely gave her father a stern look. “Yes, Daddy, I’ve heard of it.”
Ross put his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about you from your father.”
I can only imagine.
She shook Ross’ hand, immediately regretting it. His palm was clammy, and his face was incredibly pale and lifeless, except his eyes were roaming over her body.
Blakely’s stomach turned over. Her heart palpitated. Droplets of sweat started to gather on her upper lip.
He didn’t give off any sense of warmth and compassion.
He was nothing like…
She quickly shut her eyes to rid his face from her mind.
“Ross, I’m sorry. Could you give me a minute?”
The man smiled lasciviously. “Of course. I’ll be waiting for you right here.”
Blakely walked off before her father could stop her. She rushed down the hallway into the study and sank into the high-backed leather chair that she loved to sit in when she was a child. Unfortunately, her father knew this fact about his daughter, because only a few minutes later, he came barreling through the door.
Blake’s face was red with fury. “Damn it, Blakely, what the hell are you doing?”
“Getting away from that prick. What does it look like I’m doing?”
“This is an important night for us, Blakely.”
Blakely jumped to her feet. “Oh, of course. ‘Us,’” she replied through gritted teeth. “Because this party isn’t about me at all. It’s just another opportunity for you to brag to your circle of friends about my achievements and how you helped in making them happen.”
“That’s enough, Blakely! You—”
Unexpectedly, the door opened to reveal Ross standing in the hallway. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, sir. I just had to come see what was holding up your beautiful daughter.” He then gave Blakely a lustful stare, which only made her more upset.
Blakely stormed out of the room, elbowing Ross hard as she left. She rushed to the kitchen and took the second set of stairs from there up to her old bedroom and shut the door, locking it behind her.
She sat down on the bed and brought her arms around her stomach, holding it to keep from being sick.
What am I doing here? This is all wrong. I don’t want any of this.
A soft knock sounded on the door. “Blakely, are you in there?”
She gasped in relief at the sound of her mother’s voice. When she opened the door, she found her mother and Gigi on the other side.
“Hey, are you okay?” Gigi asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
Renata embraced her daughter. “Darling,
can I get you anything?”
Blakely laughed despite it all. “Actually, could you bring me a plate of something to eat, Mama? I’m dying from hunger.”
Renata cupped her daughter’s face in her hands. “Of course. You stay here, and I’ll be right back.”
Tears began to fall down Blakely’s face. “Thank you, Mama.”
Gigi ushered her best friend back into her room, closing the door behind her. The two friends sat down together on the bed.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Gigi apologized. “I had after school stuff…”
“You’re here now.”
Gigi looked Blakely in the eyes. “What happened?”
Blakely growled. “The guy my father wanted me to meet is a total sleaze. He looked at me like I was a piece of meat. He made me sick. And I know my father only wanted me to hook up with him because of who his father is.”
“I don’t even need to see him to know what you mean. The look on your face is enough.”
Suddenly, Blakely’s stomach dropped. She began to feel a wave of cold pass throughout her body as her lips began to quiver.
I’m sorry, Ronan. I’m such an idiot.
Gigi grabbed her around the shoulders. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Blakely shook her head, her face turned downward. “Nothing.”
She lowered her head closer to her best friend. “It’s Ronan, isn’t it?”
Blakely didn’t respond at first, then she nodded through her tears that were now running freely down her cheeks.
“You miss him,” Gigi declared.
Blakely nodded again.
Gigi pulled Blakely to her in a tight embrace. “Oh, sweetie, just call him. I can tell how miserable you are without him.”
Blakely sobbed. “I can’t. He probably hates me and started seeing someone else anyway.”
“You won’t know that until you find out for yourself.”
“It’s too late.”
“Damn it, you are just too stubborn for your own good.”
As Blakely’s body shook in her best friend’s embrace, someone began to jiggle the doorknob back and forth. “Open the door right now, Blakely!” her father ordered.
