Battling Destiny (The Piper Anderson Series Book 6)

by Danielle Stewart

  “I’ll make that deal. But I don’t think it matters.” Daniel gnawed anxiously at his lip as he seemed to choose his words carefully. “Your mother will never approve of your shutting everything down.”

  “My father left all decisions to me in his will. She got the life insurance, and as punishment I got this mess to clean up. My mother has no legal standing in any of this.”

  Daniel let out a low chuckle as he spoke. “I’ve never known your mother to need legal standing in anything to get her way. If you thought your father was a force to be reckoned with then you’re misjudging your mother.”

  “I appreciate the warning.” Michael nodded, hoping this would be the end of their conversation.

  “It’s not a warning, son, it’s a guarantee. You’ll be in for the fight of your life if you think you’ll be able to pry this money out of your mother’s hands.”

  “She has a hefty life insurance policy to sustain her. And I’ll make sure the profits from the manufacturing business go to her.”

  “That business is barely profitable. It stays in the green because of those back-room deals you were talking about. She won’t be able to maintain this lifestyle on that money for long.”

  “Then she can adjust her lifestyle to her means. The days of big charity banquets are gone. She can liquidate assets and live a damn good life.”

  “You’ve been gone too long, Michael. You forget what she’s capable of when her way of life is challenged.”

  “I hope I can count on you to keep this quiet. If I have a fight ahead of me then at least I’ll have the element of surprise.”

  “To be honest with you, since the day I went into business with your father I’ve been looking for a way out. How that man ever stomached the things we did I’ll never know. I lost more nights of sleep than I can count and taxed my conscience to the brink of losing my mind some days. I’m glad you’re cleaning all this up. You and your sister deserve better than to have to carry on this legacy.” Daniel stood and showed himself to the door, waving for Michael to stay in his seat. “I know my way out. I just hope you know yours.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I feel like a princess,” Jules squealed quietly to Piper as she gestured for her to zip up the gown she’d just tried on. It was a deep emerald green that somehow perfectly matched her eyes. Embellished at the princess neckline with subtle crystals, it was the perfect mix of eye-catching elegance.

  “It looks really nice on you,” Piper said, looking completely uninterested in dress shopping from the second they’d stepped foot in the normally appointment-only designer boutique. Apparently Tabitha did not need an appointment.

  “You hate this, don’t you?” Jules asked, never taking her eyes off herself in the mirror. “This dress shopping is like your worst nightmare.”

  “I’m just worried about Frankie. She’s been alone since you put her down for her nap.” Piper shrugged.

  “Come out, girls, I’ve got to see you in that dress,” Tabitha called through the thick red velvet curtain separating them.

  As they stepped out Tabitha and the associate behind the counter let out a gasp. “That dress was made for you,” Tabitha said, gesturing for Jules to spin.

  “Thank you so much. I feel so amazing in it.” Jules ran her hands down the dress and took in how perfectly it fit her as she turned in a slow circle in front of the mirror.

  “Then why the sad look?” Tabitha asked, stroking Jules’s long red hair empathetically.

  “Piper and I were just talking about Frankie being home while we’re here. I’m wondering how she’s doing,”

  “First off, Nicolette has been a nanny and housekeeper in our home since Josephine was born. I trusted her with my own child. But here,” Tabitha assured, spinning her phone around for Jules to see it. “The whole house is wired with a security system. You can take a peek at her anytime you’d like. I remember what it’s like that first year having a baby. You feel so exhausted and overwhelmed. You forget what it’s like to look like this.” Tabitha gestured to the full-length mirror on the wall for Jules to look at herself in the dress again. “Taking time for yourself makes you a better mother. Everyone needs to recharge and feel good every now and then. You wouldn’t understand, Piper, because you don’t have any children.”

  Jules felt the sting of that comment for Piper. She knew Tabitha was right, Piper really didn’t understand how awful she felt lately, but it still wasn’t the nicest way to make that point. “Thank you for showing me the security system. That makes me feel better.” Jules smiled as she stared at herself in the dress again.

  “After this Josephine is meeting us at the spa for a full workup. You’re going to be so relaxed you might just melt.” Tabitha clapped her hands excitedly.

  “I thought you needed help planning the party this weekend. It’s only four days away.” Jules could hear the annoyance in Piper’s voice and she hoped she wouldn’t ruin the steps forward in her relationship with Tabitha.

  “This is part of the planning. We’ll all talk through more details while we get our hot stone massages. Have you ever had one, Piper?”

  “I haven’t,” Piper replied flatly. “I’m not much for being touched by strangers. And I have some scars I don’t like people seeing.”

  “Oh, that’s terrible. You know I have a plastic surgeon I swear by. He could get rid of any kind of scar you have.”

  “Really?” Jules asked, her hand instinctually going to the place on her thigh where she bore the reminder of her run-in with the man who was hunting Piper.

  “Yes dear, do you have some as well? I’m telling you he’s a miracle worker. Let’s get this dress boxed up, and I’ll call him on the way to the spa.”

  “How much is the dress?” Jules asked, looking around for the price tag that didn’t seem to exist. “I’ll have to call Michael and just run it by him first.”

  “No, the dress is on me. Michael is working so hard to get everything back on track in his father’s very messy business. The least I can do is buy you this dress.”

  The sales associate came over and handed Tabitha an electronic device for her to sign. “Did you want the fifty-six hundred dollars on your account, Mrs. Cooper, or should I just bill it to your platinum card here on file?”

  “Let’s use the platinum card,” Tabitha chirped as she signed her name and smiled widely at Jules.

  “Wait. This dress costs over five thousand dollars?” Jules squeaked, instantly going as still as a statue as though any sudden movement could cause the expensive dress to rip.

  “It’s from a French designer who only created three gowns with that fabric. You’ll never see anyone else in that dress,” the associate explained defensively.

  “The dress is perfect. It’s a very fair price for something that seems like it was made for you. It’s my treat,” Tabitha insisted.

  “I can’t wear a dress that costs that much. I’ll never have anywhere to wear it again. It will be a waste.”

  “You can wear it to another event back home if you like,” Tabitha said waving off her concern.

  “We don’t have events like this in Edenville. The closest thing is when the rodeo comes to town.” Jules’s cheeks burned hot red.

  “Well then you’ll just have to spend some more time here in the city to make good use of such an amazing dress,” Tabitha offered as she shooed Jules back into the fitting room. Piper stepped in with her and helped her gingerly slide out of the dress now that she knew how much it cost.

  “You can’t seriously be thinking of letting her buy you this dress,” Piper whispered as Jules slipped the gown back onto the hanger.

  “She wants to do it. I don’t want to insult her. Plus this engagement party this weekend is going to be very formal. I wouldn’t have anything else to wear.”

  “What about the dress you wore to the gala?”

  “I can’t wear the same dress twice. There are people who will have been at the gala who will be attending the party. Plus that dress is p
ractically peasant status. All I need is for someone to ask me who I’m wearing. I’d have to answer Ginny Lou Morrisville’s special design that she makes in her basement on the weekends. That would be mortifying.”

  “Since when do you care what people think?”

  “I don’t, but this is a whole other world, Piper. The kind of place I’ve dreamed about being my entire life. You see me as this country bumpkin, but I know more about fashion and this lifestyle than anyone back in Edenville. You don’t understand how I’ve been feeling lately. I need this right now. It’s not about the dress it’s about how I feel in it.”

  “Michael warned you to be careful. He obviously doesn’t trust his mother. You aren’t acting very cautious around her.”

  “He’s grieving the loss of his father and trying to deal with being back here. I don’t think it has anything to do with his mother at all. She’s lovely. He needs to sort out how he feels. In the meantime I’m not going to treat his mother poorly if she isn’t treating me that way.”

  Tabitha split the curtain open as Jules slipped her cotton shirt back over her head and interrupted their hushed voices. “We’re all set. She’s going to box the dress up and have it delivered to the house. We can head to the spa now if you Chatty Cathys are ready.” There was a slight edge to her voice that implied she could hear what they’d been discussing and surely she wouldn’t have liked the exchange. Jules’s cheeks flushed as she prayed Tabitha hadn’t heard Piper’s opinion.

  “I think I’ll skip the spa.” Piper stepped past them and was almost to the door before Jules slipped on her shoes. “I’m going to go check in with Lindsey at the hotel.”

  “Piper please consider staying with us at the house. We have plenty of room for you and Lindsey. Michael is working so hard. I’d like him to be surrounded by friends.” Tabitha gave a wave to the associate as she headed toward the door with Piper.

  “That sounds good,” Piper agreed, and Jules sighed with relief that Piper wasn’t letting her attitude get in the way of Tabitha’s gracious offer.

  As they all hit the sidewalk, Tabitha put her phone to her ear and gave an abrupt order to someone. “Piper, there will be a car here for you in just a few minutes. They’ll take you back to your hotel and then over to the house for you to settle in. Jules and I will likely be late so the cook will fix you dinner.”

  Without waiting for Piper to respond, Tabitha and Jules were ducking into the waiting car and the driver was closing the door behind them.

  “She means well,” Jules explained as she fastened her seatbelt and slipped her lipstick from her purse. She’d gotten out of the habit of reapplying regularly and now she was forcing herself to make it a priority again.

  “She seems sweet, just not accustomed to this type of lifestyle. I’m sure it’s not how she grew up.”

  “If you only knew how she grew up you’d never look at her the same way. She’s been through hell. As a matter of fact she was still going through it when we met her.” Jules smacked her lips together smearing the red lipstick and tucked it and her mirror away again.

  “Like what?” Tabitha asked, looking genuinely interested in what Jules had to say.

  “It’s kind of a long story, but she grew up in New York City. She was completely poor and badly abused. When she got older, the man she believed to be her father killed her mother and nearly killed her. That scar she mentioned was from him. He carved a number into her thigh. She was relocated to Edenville where I grew up. The problem was that man wasn’t done with her. She and I became friends and in order to get to her, he kidnapped me. I have that same scar on my leg now. I hate it.”

  “You won’t have to hate it for much longer. I’m going to get you in touch with my plastic surgeon. No one should have to be reminded of something so horrific. I can’t believe you were kidnapped. What happened to the man?”

  “He was killed. It was really crazy for a while. I didn’t think Piper would survive it. And if she did I certainly didn’t think she’d go on to live such a normal life. She married my best friend, Bobby, and she’s going to school to help other children who are dealing with abuse. It’s remarkable really.”

  “I’d say it is,” Tabitha smiled. “It’s remarkable you’ve remained friends with her. It sounds like she’s brought quite a bit of chaos to your lives.”

  “She’s brought a lot of good things too,” Jules defended. “We’re all very close now. My mother has taken everyone under her wing. Piper and Bobby are godparents to Frankie. We have a very good life in Edenville.”

  “I have no doubt you do. It’s likely great for you and Michael, but have you thought about how it is for Frankie?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I just see you and think how much potential you have. You fit right in here. You’re gorgeous, smart, and very sophisticated. You don’t seem to be reaching your potential in Edenville. What opportunities are there really for someone like you?”

  “None,” Jules admitted, staring down at her chipping nail polish. It had been so long since she’d gone to the salon and had them done. She’d had to settle for painting them herself during Frankie’s much too short naps.

  “I’m sure Frankie could do well in a place like this. My children went to the best schools, saw the best doctors, and have benefited greatly from that. You know Josephine had a terrible speech delay. If not for the incredible intervention she received she’d never be as successful as she is today. Have you given thought to where Frankie will go to school?”

  “She’s just a baby,” Jules shot back, missing her daughter immensely at the moment.

  “Here she’d already be on a waiting list for kindergarten. The private schools are incredibly competitive. Now, because she is a Cooper, she’d have no problem getting in. There would be very little in this city she couldn’t do with that last name. She could travel the world and so could you.” Tabitha’s face was lit with a kind of excitement that made Jules imagine what her life could be.

  “Our home has been in Edenville. My mother is there. Piper and Bobby are there. I can’t imagine leaving them,” Jules explained. But the truth was she could imagine it. She had been since she tried on that dress a little while ago.

  “It’s a big city and we have plenty of property. It’s not as though they couldn’t spend time out here, too. You’re thinking too much about logistics and how that works with your life today. You’re thinking plane tickets and hotels. You need to be thinking private jets whenever you like and guesthouses. I’m not foolish. I understand that our life is a bit extravagant. But the benefit to that is limitless possibilities for accommodating anything.”

  “I suppose I never really thought about that. I guess if it meant we’d be able to spend time in both places or family could come to us whenever they wanted, I wouldn’t mind being out here.”

  “I can’t think of a thing in the world that would make me happier. We genuinely need Michael to run some of these business issues and the charities. We can’t do it without him. But it doesn’t mean he needs to be here all the time. You could spend summers here and winters down there. It’s just something to think about. Michael isn’t open to it right now, but I don’t think he’s really thinking about Frankie’s future or even your happiness. You deserve to hop on a plane next week and spend the afternoon in Rome with Josephine and me while we pick out jewelry for the wedding. Frankie should be going to the best pediatrician with state of the art technology. I think deep down Michael knows that, but he likely doesn’t want to take you from your home.”

  “Like you said, though,” Jules cut in, “it’s not as though home is that far away. Or that people couldn’t come spend time with us whenever they wanted. It wouldn’t be impossible to make it work. It’s certainly something to think about.”

  “I’m so glad you feel that way. Now that I’m here with you I can’t imagine not having you, Frankie, and Michael in our lives on a more regular basis. Now the only thing we have to do is figure out how to convince Micha
el that letting Josephine and me back into his heart is the right thing to do. I know he’s never forgiven me for supporting my husband, but his father and I were married for thirty-four years. We were best friends. Having to choose between them was an impossible task, and I knew that Michael would land on his feet no matter what he did. His father needed me more,” Tabitha croaked as a stray tear trailed down her face. She reached in her bag and grabbed a lace-trimmed handkerchief to dab at the wetness.

  Jules reached her hand out and clutched Tabitha’s shaking shoulder. “I completely understand. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in that position. Michael will come around. I believe that.”

  As the car slowed to a stop at a glass front building, Jules let her mind spin through all the ways she could help mend this broken family. Wasn’t that what this group had done all along? Hadn’t so many hearts been reunited through their efforts over the years? Surely Michael’s family could be just one more wounded little birdy that they all nursed back to health.

  The door to the car was pulled open, and like a switch being flipped off, Tabitha managed to regain her bubbly composure as she clasped the hand of a man helping her out of the car. And just like that, the whirlwind of pampering began. Before Jules could blink there was a sparkling water in her hand and the earthy smells of an upscale spa took over her senses.

  “Get ready, dear,” Tabitha squealed as she looped her arm around Jules. “You’re about to have a life-changing experience.”

  Jules clutched the plush robe that had just been handed to her and she chanted silently: I deserve this. I’ve earned this.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Michael pushed another stack of paperwork to the side of his father’s desk. He was making progress. Slowly but surely he was filing forms and understanding the depth of the problems his father had created. It was ugly, but as the clock above the door chimed eight thirty at night, he knew he had to take a break. He’d promised to talk to Jules tonight and explain more about his reasoning for keeping her from this place and why they needed to leave as soon as they could. She deserved that from him. And he hadn’t held Frankie since just after lunch; the smell of her powdery skin was still lingered on the collar of his shirt.