by Aubree Lane
So that was what he wanted to ask. She should’ve known. It was way too soon to be talking about marriage. Still she felt a little let down. “It would be very cramped.”
“Don’t care.”
“Erika would be bored. There’s not much to do at my place except color. I don’t even have cable TV.”
“Maybe, but I’d still rather be with you.”
She wanted to say yes, but she knew it wouldn’t be right. “I would love it, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. You need to get to know Larry and staying here for a few days is a start.”
The look on his face told her he clearly didn’t like her answer. “Are we going to have a long distance telephone relationship again or should we just give it up?”
Annie was shocked. A moment ago, she thought he was going to ask her to marry him, now he was talking about calling it quits. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the miserable look on his face. His sad expression almost broke her heart. “I think it’s worth a try,” she soothed. “You’re worth it, and we are worth doing whatever it takes.”
“I’m not the guy you used to dream about,” he warned. “That was just an image on a piece of glossy paper. You can’t possibly know if I’m worth all the trouble we will have to go through.”
Annie sat up and looked him square in the eye. “How can I not?”
He began to argue, but she pressed a finger to his lips. “Stop thinking, there are a million reasons why we shouldn’t try, and only one why we should. I found you, and I’m not going to let you go.”
Annie kissed him long and lovingly. She loved Terence Javier, whether it was right, wrong, or somewhere in between. Annie loved him, and she wasn’t going to give him up easily. She wasn’t going to let him give up either.
When the kiss ended, Terence sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. “You scare me, Annie Harper. It’s going to hurt so bad when you find out I’m not who you think I am. It’s going to kill me when you break it off for good.”
She wanted to reassure him, but she knew it wouldn’t ease his fears. “But we’re together now. Please don’t bail on me just because it’s difficult.”
Terence smiled sadly. “I won’t bail. I’m in too deep. I have been ever since you kissed me on board the Erika Rose, but how are we going to make this work with you here and me twenty-six hundred miles away?”
There were huge obstacles to overcome, but Annie didn’t want to think about that right now. Although he hadn’t said it in so many words, Terence loved her, too. “Let’s just enjoy this moment,” she said softly. “As long as we have each other, everything will work out. You watch. I know what I’m talking about. This is fate, and fate will find a way.”
“Fate, is that what you call Mr. Wright? He’s the one who started all this. Aren’t you angry with him?”
Angry? Heck no, not any longer. She was glad Larry interfered, otherwise she might not have ever met him. “I was for a while, but the truth about Erika’s parentage was bound to come out sometime.” Terence didn’t look convinced, and Annie felt the need to defend him. “And like Larry said, he might have set the ball in motion, but all our actions since then have been our own. I chose to fly to Hawaii. I chose to risk my friendship with Marissa to be with you. Larry might have suspected it would happen, but he didn’t force me to do it. He didn’t force any of us.”
• • •
Terence admired Annie’s loyalty, but he couldn’t help wondering if it was misguided.
The cold seeped deeper into his bones, and it didn’t appear as if they were going to solve any of their problems today. He nudged Annie off his lap and stood up. “This metal chair is making my butt cold. Let’s go inside and see how Erika is getting along with her niece and nephew.”
Annie wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled up against his back. “It’s weird to think of Erika as Jack and Sandy’s aunt.” She kissed the nape of his neck and rubbed his backside. “Is your bum warmer?”
Her touch made him stop and linger. Leaving her for six months was not going to be easy. His body had a mind of its own, and right now it wished for more time, more privacy, and a lot less clothing. He grabbed her hands and pulled her toward the house. “Not just my bum. We better get inside before I haul you off into the woods.”
Annie tugged him in the opposite direction. “There aren’t any woods around here,” she giggled. “But the guesthouse is just over there. It’s warm and extremely private.”
He let his eyes drift ahead. The cottage style house was partially hidden by a few well-placed trees. He wasn’t sure he wanted to christen it with Annie. If they made love and attached a special memory in the place where Larry wanted him to take up residence, it might make him more agreeable to his terms. Maybe that was what Larry had planned all along with this family dinner.
Terence closed his eyes and realized how messed up his thought process was. Earlier today he could have sworn Larry was trying to keep them apart, now he had Larry pimping Annie out in order to keep him in San Diego.
Annie’s hands played across his back, and his objections about going to the cottage began to dwindle. “What if it’s locked?”
Annie dug into her pocket and pulled out a key. “Marissa thought I might like to show it to you.”
Terence pushed all of Marissa’s possible motives aside and headed down the path. “Do you think we’ll be missed?”
Annie broke into a run. “I don’t care if we are or not. Bet I get there before you.”
She reached the door first and fumbled with the key. Terence slid up behind her and took the key out of her shaking hand. He nuzzled his nose in her hair and whispered, “I guarantee you’ll get there first.”
Another shiver ran through her body and Terence felt it deep in his groin.
He pushed open the door and Annie barged passed, pulling Larry’s sweater off over her head as she went. “Make sure you lock that door behind us. I don’t want to be disturbed.”
For the third time that day, Terence found himself saying, “Yes ma’am.”
Chapter 12
Dinner at the Wright’s was always an event to remember. Larry’s cook/housekeeper rarely had the chance to show off her abilities and tended to go overboard when the opportunity presented itself. Mr. Lawrence Wright was a steak and potatoes man, who objected to what he referred to as foo-foo food, but when guests were invited over Eleanor had carte blanche to pull out all the stops.
Keeping in mind that several picky children were present, she prepared a separate meal of chicken, deep-fried to a golden brown, complemented with the ever popular mac and cheese, and she rounded out the meal with a side of green beans.
The adults were to feast upon pork tenderloin, which had lingered in her special marinade for as many hours as she could manage on such short notice, along with grilled asparagus, and wild rice.
When everyone was seated and accounted for, a mere twenty minutes after the appointed time, Eleanor began serving her extraordinary meal.
For a moment, she’d been irritated that Annie and Mr. Javier had been late, but when she saw the glow on her precious Annie’s face, and that the tiny top she wore was now inside out, she didn’t have the heart to scold them. Anyone capable of making her Annie happy was all right in her book.
Mr. Wright had already poured wine for the adults and distributed glasses of milk for the children. No matter how often she admonished him to sit down and let her do her job, her employer always insisted on helping.
Tonight, Mr. Wright had once again invited her to join them for dinner, but once again she politely refused. Eleanor was not part of the family, and never would be. She would never allow herself to believe she was anything more than a valued employee. She learned that lesson long ago.
There was a time, years after Mrs. Wright passed away, when Eleanor believed her relationship with Mr. Wright was on the verge of developing into something more personal. Then Hannah Turner set her sights on her employer, and any thought of Eleanor di
sappeared faster than the speed of light. Hannah flaunted her calculated seduction of the man right in front of Eleanor’s eyes.
It had been a game to the young woman, and her interest in Larry cooled as quickly as it heated up, but Eleanor kept Mr. Wright at arm’s length ever since. He had acted like a complete nincompoop with that girl, and now poor little Erika was going to pay the price for his stupidity. The little darling did not deserve what was about to happen any more than Eleanor deserved to be tossed aside for a piece of pond scum like Hannah Turner.
“Eleanor,” Marissa said. “I know you love spoiling the kids, but it’s not necessary to cook them a separate meal. At our house they eat what we eat. If they don’t like it, they go hungry.”
Eleanor shot the children a conspiratorial wink. “Well then, it’s a good thing they’re not eating at your house tonight.”
Bubbly little Sandy leaned over to Erika and gushed, “Eleanor is the best. She always fixes us stuff we like, and I bet there’s chocolate ice cream for dessert. Isn’t there Eleanor?”
Eleanor grinned proudly. Despite all of Marissa’s objections about serving sweets, she and the children had been able to develop a few traditions of their own. It was only right, considering she played as active a role in their upbringing as their parents. “Of course there is. Now enjoy your meal. If you need anything else, I’ll be right inside the kitchen.”
“Elly, are you sure you won’t join us?” Larry Wright asked again as he rose from his chair. “There’s plenty of room.”
Marissa joined forces with her father. “Please stay. Kids, you want Eleanor to join us, don’t you?”
All three of the youngsters smiled brightly and echoed Marissa’s invitation. Skinny, dark haired Jack jumped up to retrieve another chair believing the issue was settled, but Eleanor raised her hands in protest. “Thank you, but no. Now stop worrying about me and eat while the food is still warm.”
Tears stung her eyes as she hastily retreated to the safety of her kitchen. She knew they were only trying to be nice, but her place was in the kitchen. In there, she could fix a pot of tea and listen to all their problems, or bake cookies and cuddle the children. In the kitchen, she could mother and love them all, but in all other areas of the house, she was Eleanor, the help, and nothing more. They didn’t know how difficult it was for her to maintain her distance and not cross that line. They didn’t understand how hard it was not to let the boundaries fall away and let them all meld into one loving family. If that was what Larry Wright wanted, then he was going to have to do a whole lot better than simply invite her to share a meal, a meal which she prepared, and for a much better reason than because there was room at the table.
• • •
Larry shook his head, unaware of Eleanor’s daily turmoil. “Doesn’t that woman know by now she’s part of the family?”
Marissa brought a morsel of tenderloin to her lips then halted in midair. “Apparently not, perhaps you should tell her how important she is to you.” Then she corrected herself with a sly chuckle. “I mean, how important she is to us.”
Larry furrowed his brow and glared at his daughter. He glanced at the rest of the table and noticed how both Annie and David were also smiling. He wondered how long they had known of his deep affection for the lovely woman.
He didn’t know if Eleanor would ever forgive his brief dalliance with Hannah. He had truly messed up their relationship with his stupidity, but watching Erika getting acquainted with the rest of his family, he couldn’t quite find it in his heart to regret it. “I guess I can’t put anything over on the three of you,” he laughed heartily.
Annie looked up from her plate. “Not usually, but you have your moments, quite recently as a matter of fact.”
Larry squirmed. “Annie, I―” he began to apologize. He caught the twinkle in her eye. The tryst the young couple shared earlier had brightened her mood considerably, which made it well worth the twenty-minute dinner delay. “I guess I deserved that.” He raised his glass. “Eat everyone. Enjoy your meal, and may it be the first of many.”
Chapter 13
Strands of little seashell shaped lights twinkled through Terence’s bedroom window early Christmas morning. The lights weren’t very Christmassy, and he half-heartedly attempted to talk Erika into the traditional multi-colored strands, but she insisted. She loved anything pertaining to the ocean, and he didn’t have the heart to deny her.
An old Carpenter’s Christmas carol played softly in the background. Karen was feeling mighty sorry for herself while Richard egged her on in the background. Terence had never cared for the song, but this year the lyrics were hitting close to his heart, and he reveled in its sweet agony.
It was his first Christmas with Erika and he should have been ecstatic, and except for the empty pit in his stomach where Annie was supposed to be, he was. He never knew it was possible to miss anyone so completely. The daily phone calls and text messages were not enough. Hearing what was going on in her life, but not being able to see or feel it left him cold.
Terence wasn’t the only one missing her. Last night during Lena’s Christmas Eve dinner, both his sister and daughter asked when Annie would be coming for a visit. To the best of his knowledge, it was not going to be anytime in the foreseeable future. She was too weighed down with work.
He almost asked her to come back to the island with him and Erika, but when she refused to let them stay at her place for even the few days before they were to fly home, he figured leaving her business, her home, and the people she loved was pretty much out of the realm of possibility.
In retrospect, he knew that was just an excuse. Annie had never given him a reason to believe she enjoyed their separation. The smile she plastered on her face the day she dropped them off at the airport did not hide the sorrow in her eyes, and in the end he knew he simply chickened out.
For a microsecond he thought about hanging around and spending Christmas in California, but he couldn’t stomach the thought of being around Larry any longer than necessary, and he didn’t dare deprive Lena and himself of what was probably going to be the only Christmas they would ever spend with Erika on Oahu.
He made the right decision. The results of the paternity test proved that Larry Wright was, without a shadow of a doubt, Erika’s biological father. It was only a matter of time before she would be taken away.
Annie repeatedly tried to reassure him that he and Lena would always be welcome at Larry’s, but Terence didn’t see how that would make much of a difference. He was no longer going be the center of Erika’s universe. His role was about to be drastically downgraded, and there wasn’t anything anyone could say or do that could minimize that fact.
The happy news was that Erika, an island girl at heart, had settled into cyber-school without a hitch. The homeschool type program allowed her to learn at her own pace. No catching up was needed.
Terence worried she would feel self-conscious being so far behind the other kids, but children are incredible creatures. Things you think are going to be a problem, aren’t, and for reasons an adult can’t possibly fathom, other things are. The problem last week came from a little girl who told Erika she had enormous eyes. You would have thought the world had come to an end. Almost on the verge of hysterics, Erika insisted on calling Annie, who miraculously made everything right in her world once more.
Having Erika in cyber-school was tough on Terence. He was so nervous that Erika wouldn’t perform well that he tended to push her a bit too hard. Erika’s online teacher, Mrs. Dawson, was quick to remind him that although fourth grade was a pivotal year, it was still only fourth grade, and that Erika was progressing well. Mrs. Dawson was also instrumental in helping Terence find a tutor to relieve him of some of the day to day hovering he found himself doing while Erika was sitting in front of her computer in class.
Erika’s tutor, Miss Murphy, was quite young, at least that’s how she seemed to Terence. She was fresh out of college with her teaching degree and had been substituting in the
local school district waiting for a permanent position to open up.
They met up at a local coffee shop. Erika seemed to like her, so they worked out a schedule and settled on a pay rate. Terence didn’t believe their arrangement would work. Miss Murphy seemed like a flake, and he was surprised when she actually showed up on time and stayed for every scheduled hour.
Terence fell into the habit of leaving his office door open so he could listen to them while they worked. There seemed to be lot of laughing going on out there, but Erika progressed quickly, and Miss Murphy predicted Erika would be caught up with the rest of her class in no time.
Lena didn’t care for the young tutor and didn’t mind voicing her opinion about it. “That girl is bad news. I can see it in her eyes. She has a crush on you, and if you’re not careful, she’s going to mess up your relationship with Annie.”
Terence thought Lena had lost her mind. Miss Murphy was a kid, which was probably the reason why she and Erika got along so well. Even if she had a crush on him, which he doubted, it wasn’t reciprocated. She was good for Erika, and that was all that mattered.
Last evening, he received another ear full from his sister while Erika was busy wrapping the last of her packages in the next room.
“I was in the grocery store the other day, the one off Ocean Street,” Lena began. “And I ran into Jenny Lucas. Remember her?”
Terence shook his head.
Lena mumbled something under her breath, which Terence didn’t catch, but was fairly certain his ignorance was not appreciated.
“She was a year behind you in school.”
“I’m still in the dark.”
“She was a cheerleader.”
Terence tried a little harder to remember the ex-cheerleader, a year behind him in school, but drew a blank. “Nope, sorry, I got nothing.”
