A Woman Like You: Book Two (The Woman I Love Series 2)

by G S Binkley

  The doctor quickly checked and cleaned the baby before placing him on his mother’s deflated stomach. “Here. A healthy baby boy.”

  Lacy pulled her baby closer. The radiant woman smiled from ear to ear as she gazed in wonder at the newborn life she’d just given birth to. “Gage look. He’s perfect.”

  “Mmmmm…. yes, he is.” Again, Gage brushed her lips against her partner’s head. “Just like you.”

  David reached out. “Can I?”

  Lacy lifted her son to his father. Taking the baby in his arms, a smile rose on David’s face then letting it fall just as fast suddenly feeling a sense of emptiness about the baby Hayston lost. “What are you going to call him?” He asked his ex-wife while still looking at the tiny baby in his arms.

  The new mother spared her partner a quick look then said. “David Samuel.”

  Nodding, David replied. “Thank you.” That simple gesture washed away several layers of animosity David held against Lacy and her lover. “Lacy, I know we’ve talked about custody and everything and my contesting it.” Looking back at his innocent son, David thought of his other two children. “I want to be in their lives though.”

  “That was never in question, David.” Lacy assured him.

  Then David did something totally unexpected of him. He walked around the bed. “Gage. I guess you were a part of this……” Letting the words die on his lips, he handed his son to Lacy’s partner.

  Gage accepted the gesture holding the tiny bundle of joy in her arms offering her rival a silent ‘thank you’ then turned to Lacy. Shifting her eyes back and forth between mother and son. “I love you both.” As the blonde planted warm lips against the shock of dark hair on his little head then did the same to her partner, David backed away silently intent on finding his absent lover, Hayston Rawlings.

  ************************

  Lacy, Gage and the three kids huddled together in the huge bed in their guesthouse on Mark Calico’s LA estate. “Be careful, Derek.” His mother advised him.

  Derek pulled at his one-week-old brother trying to hold him. “I want to hold him.”

  “Me, too.” Dani echoed.

  “That’s all the two of you have been doing all week.” Gage said.

  “But he’s awake now…. most of the time he’s sleeping.” Dani protested.

  The profoundly fatigued mother and her equally tired partner shared a knowing look about Lacy’s new son’s sleeping habits. Lacy reached over giving Gage a sweet kiss. Over the last week, Gage dutifully fulfilled every requirement she could in order to help the new mother with her baby.

  Since Lacy refused to give up holding the baby, Dani opted for another avenue of fun. “Tickle fight!” The young girl ensued in the endeavor whole-heartedly with Derek following suit only to be thwarted as soon as they had started.

  “No..no, no!” Gage commanded. “We don’t want to hurt the baby.”

  “He’s more trouble than he is fun.” Dani pouted, crossing her arms and again her brother followed her lead.

  “Come over here, Dani. You too, Derek.” Both children obeyed their mother’s wishes. After they settled next to each other on her right, Lacy placed David Samuel on both their laps allowing them to hold the bright blue-eyed baby. Then she leaned back into her lover’s arms letting out a deep sigh of fatigue.

  Nuzzling her earlobe, Gage said. “I love you.”

  Wrapping her lover’s arms around her, Lacy replied. “Me, too.” Happy and content, Lacy watched her three children as the two oldest kids made faces and sounds trying to get the baby to smile. It doesn’t get any better than this.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The next two months flew by with the happy couple making plans about where they were going to live and now that Dani was out of school for the summer, Lacy and Gage talked about their upcoming wedding and honeymoon. But, before any of that could take place, Lacy was scheduled for several interviews for the upcoming release of her new movie scheduled to be out in a couple of weeks.

  “Lacy, it’s too soon. You just had the baby. You can’t be gallivanting all over the countryside making appearances. I know you’re still exhausted.” Wearing an overt frown, Gage crossed her arms.

  “Are you telling me what to do?” Lacy asked.

  “No, I would never tell you what to do. But, I would do everything in my power to convince you if I thought it was for your own good.” Gage admitted.

  “Sweetheart, I know you’re concerned about me. It’s part of my deal with the movie though.” Lacy placed her nearly two-month-old son in his crib before returning to her pouting partner. “Could it be that you’re concerned…”

  “Jealous.” Gage supplied the word her partner truly meant.

  “About my making several appearances with Koda.” Lacy finished.

  Allowing her woman to settle next to her on the bed, Gage shrugged. “Not really. After what you did to him at the wrap party, I doubt he’d want to get within ten foot of you.” Smiling. “I did enjoy that though.”

  Laughing. “I imagine it did make an impression on him.”

  Turning to Lacy, Gage voiced her real concern. “You remember after you had Derek, and you went back to work too soon…..it took a toll on you. Don’t deny it, Lacy. You told me it did.”

  Exhaling a deep breath, Lacy remembered David’s insistence about getting back to work. “That was six weeks… it’s been almost eight since the baby was born. And I went back to work doing stunts…. much more physical activity than sitting for a few interviews. It’ll be okay.”

  “Fine.” Gage agreed. “But the kids and I go too.”

  Kissing her caring lover, Lacy said. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  ************************

  Crossing his legs, Koda shifted uneasily in the chair as he remembered his last encounter with Lacy Levine. This along with other factors motivated him to embellish the facts he was about to reveal to the nosy reporter, Tony Kussler.

  “And you now admit that you and your co-star, Lacy Levine, had an affair?”

  Smiling. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  “Just during the movie or was it going on before? Lacy did give birth recently. Could it be….”

  “No!” Koda cut off the flamboyant reporter. The thought of another pregnancy ran perilously through his mind. “I had nothing to do with that.”

  “Why bring all this out now? Is it because your new movie is about to be released?” Tony quizzed.

  Damn you, Griffen. Lacy wasn’t the only one who had the trapped star by the shorts. “We were in love. I think that still may be true…. in some ways.” Koda reluctantly admitted. The Casanova always did fall for his leading ladies at least until he bedded them. Since this didn’t happen with Lacy, Koda’s infatuation with the beautiful and talented star still lingered.

  “This doesn’t have anything to do with dispelling the rumors about Lacy and her female ‘partner’? After all, this is a romantic comedy. You wouldn’t want the audience to stay away from it.” Tony dug deeper into the advantageous exclusive interview set up by his friend.

  You sure don’t stay bought, do you? Griffen will be pissed. “You know all about rumors Tony. It’s Hollywood. They come and they go. People will go to any lengths for a cover story…..”

  “Not people…the media. But, I didn’t break the story about Lacy’s special relationship. It was one of those tabloids.” A barracuda smile bit sharply as he thought he evaded Koda’s insinuation.

  Tapping a long finger to his lips, Koda consciously delivered a direct hit. “You did work for them once, didn’t you? It was the same tabloid that fired you when you lost a major interview?” Koda wasn’t expecting an answer and didn’t get one.

  Ending the interview abruptly, Tony seethed. I’ll have to do some major editing on this. You haven’t heard the last of me Koda, you or Lacy.

  ************************

  After the interview on the talk show was over, Lacy yanked Koda off to the side. “Ju
st what do you think you were doing?”

  Koda shrugged. “It’s called….” Using his fingers as if quoting. “Selling our picture.”

  “More like deception.” Lacy countered referring to Koda’s continued subtle insinuations that they had an affair.

  Squirming again under Lacy’s verbal assault, Koda admitted.

  “Okay, I embellished it a little.”

  “Out and out lied more like it. Koda, you fix it and make sure it stays fixed.” Lacy ordered.

  “All right. God, between you and Griffen, I’ll be glad when this whole thing is over.” Running his hand through his unruly light hair, Koda tried to make amends with his fuming co-star revealing to her a very guarded secret about a certain vindictive reporter.

  Gage walked up with the kids in tow then escorted the simmering star to the guest’s dressing room. “Excuse me, Lacy. I’ll be right back.” Closing the door behind her, the determined blonde marched the short distance to the other guest dressing room opening the door without knocking.

  Spinning around quickly, Koda noticed his uninvited guest. “Oh… it’s you.”

  “Caught you with your pants down, I see.” Gage perused the long muscular legs of the surprised actor.

  A devilish smile carried with it an inviting wink. “See anything else you’d like to catch…. cause I’m not running.”

  “Not from what I heard. My friend, Mark, told me Griffen has you by the balls. I’m not sure about what but whatever it is causing you to lie about Lacy…..”

  Holding up a stilling hand. “Save it. I’ve already been read the riot act.” Gage nodded knowingly. “A little piece and quiet that’s all I need.”

  “Really. And I thought you just needed to get laid.” Gage disappeared leaving the frustrated man standing all alone.

  Flopping down on the sofa, Koda groan. It has been a while.

  ***********************

  “Mr. Calico, Mrs. Grant will be down in a minute.” Stella Smith informed her employer’s date. Hesitant, Stella asked. “You’re going to Miss Levine’s new movie?”

  “Yes.” The eagerly waiting man smiled. “She’s a good friend of mine.”

  “Could I ask you a question?” She cocked an inquiring brow.

  “Sure, Stella. What is it?” Mark watched the nanny walk across the room then remove a newspaper from the top desk drawer.

  Shoving it at him, she asked. “Who’s that with Miss Levine?”

  Recognizing the tabloid, Mark scanned the caption under the picture of Lacy and Gage. “Gage Ballant.”

  “Is she a friend of yours, too? It says you make movies together.” Stella inquired.

  “Very much so. And, we’re partners. Why?”

  “I’d like to talk to you about this…..later.” The nanny said evasively.

  Guardedly, Mark nodded as his date made her entrance.

  ************************

  At the premiere of their movie, Koda and Lacy posed for the media and fans as hundreds of flickering lights flashed all around them. Koda allowed an interview with a rival entertainment show instead of stopping to talk with Tony Kussler, leaving him livid. Tony scooted closer to get a bead on what was being said.

  “That’s right. None of it was true.” Koda proffered a charming smile at the cute young reporter. “Lacy and I were and are just friends. Although, I do admit to fancying myself a bit in love with her. She is a beautiful woman… and I can’t seem to resist beautiful women.” Koda waggled his eyebrows at the woman before him who was feeling a bit weak in the knees under the onslaught from the sexy and captivating Adonis.

  Tony Kussler fumed then mumbled under his breath. “You son of a bitch.”

  “You know how it is…Tina, isn’t it?” In a bit of a seductive haze, she nodded. “Sooome….” He drug out the word referring to Tony Kussler. “Twist your words around… for a story. The affair to which I was referring was in reference to our characters in the movie. That’s all. I won’t mention names but it wasn’t very professional of him. Now was it?”

  Tony repeated his earlier name-calling. “You son of a bitch.”

  Gage walked by Lacy’s side down the walkway with Mark and Julie following close behind. Noticing the hordes of fans calling to Lacy as they fawned over the tall statuesque star, Gage whispered so only her partner could hear. “Should I be jealous?”

  A loving smile spread across Lacy face directing it at her lover. “No.”

  “Do you mind if I am… at least a little bit anyway?” Gage returned the loving smile and added a wink.

  “No.” Lacy leaned in closer. “Later.” Proud of the way her partner was now handling these types of ‘fancy’ events with calm, steady assuredness albeit still somewhat dubious at times.

  Sucking in a deep breath, the blonde had to cool her overheated jets. Oh, yeah. Later.

  Catching Lacy walk by, Tony Kussler shoved pass several people to get to her. “Miss. Levine. One moment please.” He grabbed her arm, twisting her around sharply.

  “Mr. Kussler.” Lacy held her smile even as she spoke his name.

  Kussler postured himself for the confrontation he planned. “Lacy… do you mind if we do a live interview….for my show. It’s on now?”

  Lacy braced herself for the interview, as Gage, Mark and Julie stood close behind her. “Okay.” She waited patiently for Tony to get his cameraman wired in for a live feed to his studio.

  “We’re here with Lacy Levine whose new movie opens tonight to what we are assured will be rave reviews.” Tony played the nice host with sugary sweetness. They chatted for a few moments regarding general things about the movie when Tony suddenly zeroed in for the kill. “Tell me, Lacy, Koda Kannon, who is well known for all the women revolving in and out of his bedroom door, is now recanting about his affair with you. What do you have to say about that?”

  “He’s right. We were never involved.”

  “Mmmmm. Or is it a foiled cover-up to white wash your illicit relationship with a woman. Maybe a last ditch effort to savage your career and…. this movie? The viewing public wants to know. Enlighten us.” Tony jammed the microphone in the star’s face.

  “Koda enlightened me on a few things.” She said with a predatory smile. Covertly reaching forward, Gage rubbed the small of Lacy’s back offering support giving the aggravated star the fuel she needed to alter the course of the battle she was engaged in with the combative reporter. “Mr. Kussler, you remember a few months ago when that story came out….” Lacy pulled her partner beside her, interlocking her arm with Gage. “The one to which you just referred to about me and my relationship with Gage.”

  Tony furrowed his brows together not knowing where the conversation was heading.

  “It was the biggest scoop of the year and….I was interested, since you have your own show, why did you sell the pictures you took of us together to one of your competitors?”

  Stunned, the usually verbose reporter grappled helplessly for some sort of retort. “I….I..I…”

  “That’s what I thought.” Wearing a victorious smile, Lacy walked off with her partner to watch the premiere of what would become a huge box office success.

  Watching the television set from his massive studio office, the TV executive of Tony Kussler’s show bristled. The executive yanked the telephone from its cradle, punching one number then said out loud while waiting for someone to answer the ring. “That son of a bitch.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  On a warm July day, Gage stood next to Mark Calico as she waited anxiously. Nudging her friend. “I’m glad you made the trip back from England for this. Sorry Chance couldn’t make it.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. Though tomorrow I head back to my grandfather’s castle. Julie and her kids are meeting me there.” Mark returned a nudge to his friend then nodded. “There she is.”

  Gazing down the rose pedal lined aisle, Gage stared lovingly at Lacy standing next to her father, arms entwined. Beaming. Here comes my woman.

  As Daniel Lewi
s prepared to escort his daughter down the aisle surrounded by hundreds of blooming flowers in his well-cared for garden, Lacy noticed her father flinch favoring his left leg. Worried, Lacy whispered. “Maybe you shouldn’t….”

  “Nonsense.” Patting his daughter’s hand. “I’m not going to miss walking my oldest girl down the aisle. Besides, I’m having surgery on my knee Monday. Now, stop worrying about it.”

  As the proud father guided the beautiful bride dressed in an ivory gown up the short walkway, those in attendance didn’t notice his slight limp except for his dutiful wife, Lynn. He is stubborn. One of the many reasons I love him.

  Lynn cradled her three-month-old grandson with his siblings seated on either side of her when great aunt Matilda, sitting directly behind her, leaned forward. “Lynn, my goddaughter is absolutely radiant. Takes after me.” Causing her fifty-five year old niece to shake her head laughing.

  Anchored to her father, Lacy walked down the aisle to the waiting love of her life she was about to vow before God, her family and friends to spend not only the rest of this life with but eternity. She smiled when she remembered their discussion about who was going to preside over the wedding. Since Lacy’s home state didn’t condone same gender marriages, Gage suggested that they in effect marry themselves. “After all, Lacy, we’ve already asked God for His blessing…..we don’t need someone or a piece of paper to officially proclaim what’s in our hearts….our very souls. I love you. I want to marry you.” She kissed her lover’s temple. “Who better but you and me to declare our love to each other in front of our family and friends.” It was an argument Lacy couldn’t and didn’t want to argue.

  Dan offered his daughter’s hand to Gage then whispered. “You take good care of her.”

  “I will.” Gage vowed.

  Facing each other, the music faded away as Lacy and Gage exchanged their sacred vows. “Lacy, I love you. And I give you my love unconditionally. Through all the days of our lives and throughout eternity I’ll always be by your side. You’re my life. When I look at you, I see my world. And I am complete.” Tears filled the blonde’s eyes.