“I was hoping you could come to Lafayette Falls that weekend. On Saturday, there’s a festival and a parade. I’m helping with the hospital booth during the festival and the clinic has a float in the parade.” Sophie was supposed to ride on the float.
She glanced at the playful dolphins and wished life could be as simple for her as it was for them. “Or if you’re busy that weekend, we can make it later on in July or August. Whatever weekend is convenient for you.”
“Oh.” He was quiet for a few moments. “I can make it that weekend.”
“That’ll be great.”
He nodded and turned his attention back to the dolphins. She let out a relieved breath and pushed the future from her mind. She would deal with it when the time came.
* * *
For the rest of the day and into the evening, Carson couldn’t shake the nagging uneasiness he felt. He stepped into the shower, but the hot water didn’t wash away the concerns he had about the two of them meeting at Royal Oaks in two weeks.
Or, if he couldn’t make it in two weeks, a later date was fine with her.
A later date wasn’t fine with him. Two weeks wasn’t fine either. He didn’t want to kiss her goodbye at the airport and say he’d see her in a couple of weeks.
That was not going to work. This time he didn’t want the two of them to go their separate ways. Even if they were supposed to meet again. Yesterday, when he had said, “I want you there,” he had meant every morning. Not just while they were on this trip.
Of course, he realized she loved being a doctor and Lafayette Falls was home to her. Based on the number of calls and text messages she received on a daily basis from her friends and family, she was someone other people loved.
But he loved her, too. And he didn’t want her living on one side of the country and him on the other. That would have to be fixed. He certainly didn’t want a weekend wife. They would have to work on logistics. He could cut back on his overseas travels and the duration of the trips. Many times, he’d stayed away because he had nothing waiting at home.
They could make Royal Oaks their Tennessee home. He wondered if the old house was still in good shape. He hadn’t been back since his grandmother’s funeral, but he still employed the Deatons, who had been the caretakers of the estate for decades.
It was a grand old home that dated back to 1859. His grandfather’s family had purchased the home in 1910. It was filled with antiques, family portraits, and history. The house was surrounded by five hundred acres of Tennessee farmland, rolling hills, creeks, and woods. He smiled as he recalled being a little boy, hanging onto his mother’s hand as they headed down the path to the creek where the water was clear and cool. Great for a summer dip.
His mother had taken him to Royal Oaks every summer until that summer when she was taken from this life. But he still had his fond memories of exploring the woods, going to the creek, horseback riding, and sitting in the shade, eating watermelon while his mother painted.
He stilled in the shower as an idea hit him.
Why didn’t I think of that sooner? He shut off the water to the shower, excitement rising inside him as he wiped a towel over his body and yanked on a pair of shorts.
“Marla,” he called as he rushed out the salon doors into the warm night. Marla sat in one of the chaise lounges on the dark deck, wearing a wrap-style beach cover-up.
“The sky is beautiful tonight,” she said, marveling at the bright stars overhead.
“Marla!” He could hardly contain his joy. He bent and plastered a kiss on her mouth. Then, he lifted her to make room for himself on the chaise. They sat together on the chaise with her body angled across his lap.
“What’s happened?” she wanted to know.
“I’m going to build the art center at Royal Oaks!”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
“Royal Oaks is the perfect place,” he said, his voice brimming with excitement. “My mother grew up there. She loved it and she did all her first paintings there. It will be a great tribute to her and her family. Best of all, there’s plenty of land and I own it. That’s a huge expense out of the way.”
“You sound so happy.”
He grasped Marla’s hand and laced his fingers with hers. “I can build it the way I envisioned it.”
She smiled as she gave him a hug. He returned the hug, holding her tight against him. He thought about asking her to marry him right then, but he had no ring and he wanted to do it properly. He wanted his proposal to be memorable.
She pulled back and he noticed tears glistening on her lashes. “I’m happy for you.”
He touched her cheek. “So happy you could cry?”
Her reply was a slight nod and a kiss.
As soon as their lips parted, he started planning. “I’ll have the old house completely renovated. Have the plumbing and electrical wiring all replaced. Plus, I’ll get some of the people who work on historic homes come and take a look at the place. I think adding a wing that provides completely modern living would be a good idea.” He looked at her, waiting for her opinion.
“Are you planning to live there?” she asked, looking a bit shocked.
He shrugged. He didn’t want to give too much away. “I’ll have to have somewhere to stay while the art center is being built, and I’ve neglected the old place far too long.”
Her gaze returned to the stars overhead. “Miss Eva would be pleased.”
Inside him, excitement mingled with hope and need. On a breezy summer night, shared with the stars, the ocean, and the woman he loved, his future was being reshaped.
“Are you pleased?” he asked quietly.
She laced her fingers through his and held his hand tight. “I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy. Are you?”
Her answer was a long, slow kiss, complete with a languorous sweep of her tongue inside his mouth. He pulled his lips from hers. “You know, it’s dark and no one can see us out here.”
“I’m glad.” She swept her hands down his chest to his shorts where she unfastened them and slid them off his hips. She took a few moments to appreciate the finer points of his male anatomy with her hands and lips until he swore incoherently.
In the muted deck light, she slipped the short cover-up from her shoulders. He let his gaze appreciate her naked body. Firm breasts with pouting nipples begging for his attention. Heaven between a pair of smooth thighs. A flat, tight belly that would someday swell with his child.
He splayed his hands against her abdomen and thought about babies. Their babies. The family they’d create together. At least, that was something she hadn’t done with Ben. They hadn’t made a baby. His ego celebrated. He wanted to be the one to make babies with her.
He pulled her close and she nestled against him, as they sat, face-to-face. God, she was fantastic. She had always driven him out of his mind. Made him crazy.
The lunar effect.
“Marla.” He stared into her eyes. “You were made for loving me.” She stroked his shoulders. “Like the song?”
Yeah. Ben’s ringtone.
“What’s our song gonna be?” he asked in a throaty voice. He wanted to get Ben’s ringtone out of his mind.
“Hmm.” She considered his question with a serious look on her face. “My Heart Will Go On.” She nodded. “That’s one of my favorites.”
The title sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. “Who sang it?”
“Celine Dion. It was the theme song in the movie, Titanic.”
“Titanic.” He frowned. “They died in the end.”
“Well, yeah, but then they were together. Spiritually. The song is about that. You know, love transcending separation and death and going on forever.”
“No.” He couldn’t go along with that kind of song. “I like the Black-Eyed Peas.”
“Sure.” She gave him a mischievous grin as she slid her hand down his belly to his dick. “How about ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’? You like that one?”
“Perf
ect,” he replied as their bodies joined. He just couldn’t get enough. He felt the contraction deep within her sweet body, and everything went blank in his mind as he rode it out to completion. When it was over, he fell back in the lounger and raked his fingers through his hair.
She reached for her cover-up and slipped it on.
Covering up all the good stuff.
She stood and smoothed the hem that brushed against her thighs. She had such lean legs, and since they’d been on the island, the wind and sun had tanned her. Her blonde hair looked lighter, and it seemed as if her eyes were a deeper green.
In his opinion, she was getting prettier every day. He was a lucky man.
“You shouldn’t be sitting out here with nothing on,” she remarked and he grinned. He loved her Southern accent. Naked, he stretched out on the chaise. He enjoyed the feel of the humid, salty air against his flesh.
“You never know what might happen,” she warned. “There might be a tsunami and you’ll get washed away naked.”
“You think?” He started laughing, and she struggled to keep a straight face.
“You never know. You can laugh all you want, but it pays to be prepared,” she insisted. “Every time the tornado siren goes off at home, I make sure I’m dressed. Even if it is two o’clock in the morning, I get up and put on my clothes. Shoes, too. Shoes are very important.”
He tried to sober himself. “Well, darling, if I hear a tornado siren out here, I’ll get dressed and put on my shoes.”
“You do that.” She strutted toward the salon doors.
“Hey,” he called. “I’ve got another surprise for tomorrow night.” She stopped, serious now, and shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. The Love Boat was a terrific surprise, and I don’t expect anything else, okay?”
“I can’t wait to see your face,” he teased.
She studied him for a moment. “Are you gonna pop out of a cake naked or something?”
“I’m sitting here naked now. What kind of surprise would that be?”
“The cake would be a surprise,” she replied, throwing up her hands. Then she headed inside the yacht.
After a little while, he put on his shorts and walked over to the rear deck. The lights on a couple of sailboats flickered in the distance. Kauai’s mountains could barely be seen. The ocean stretched before him, its waters lazy and dangerous. Always moving. He had a familiar bond with the ocean.
He’d often felt dark and restless. Uneasy and adrift.
But no more.
Now his life was on course and he had his future all mapped out.
Chapter 18
“It’s like being on a rollercoaster and not knowing how the ride will end,” Marla confided to Kayla as she stood on the penthouse lanai. The morning sun beamed through flimsy rain clouds and a colorful arch appeared over the headway. Marla watched the rainbow form.
Last night, when Carson had said he wanted to build the art center at Royal Oaks, she had known there was no turning back. No reconsiderations. The inevitable was coming, and she had to be prepared.
“Everything will be fine.” Kayla, always the best friend, reassured her. “Dad said you don’t have anything to worry about. There is no judge who is going to take away your rights as her mother or Ben’s as her father. He’ll explain everything when you meet with him Monday.”
“Okay.” Marla wished she felt more reassured, but there was no peace inside her heart. “It’s just that, um, I’m so nervous about this. I don’t know. It’s going to be so hard.”
“I don’t think this is all about Sophie, is it?”
Marla let out a painful breath. “It’s just that bringing Carson into Sophie’s life will bring him into my life forever.”
“Are you in love with him?”
“The truth is I think I fell in love with him the moment we met. But I’ve never held out any hope for a future with him.”
Before Kayla could respond, Brett Harris strode into the doctor’s lounge at Lafayette Falls Medical Center. Marla heard him in the background. “Hey, are you talking to the LaLa in paradise?”
He called her and Kayla the two LaLas because both of their names ended in la.
Marla smiled. “Tell Hot Rod I’ve learned the hula.”
“I can do the hula, too.” She heard him respond. “Aaron, come here. Over here.”
Marla pictured pediatrician, Aaron Kendall, joining her other friends. Tall, dark-haired Aaron had the athletic figure of a baseball player. He would be wearing blue scrubs under a white coat with lollipops and a stuffed giraffe stuck in his pocket. In contrast, Hot Rod would be in jeans and a T-shirt with a stethoscope roped around his neck, which would invariably prompt people to ask if he were a doctor.
“We’re gonna do the hula,” Brett told Aaron. “Like this.”
“That’s not the hula,” Kayla said.
Marla smiled as she listened to her friends banter. Maybe Lafayette Falls didn’t have beautiful beaches, soaring cliffs, white waves, or palm trees, but it was paradise to her. It was home and love and security and everything she needed right now.
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Hang in there,” Kayla told her. “All you have to do is make it through today.”
Yeah. The last day in paradise. The rain had stopped and the clouds rolled north, leaving a lucid cobalt-blue sky behind. It’s all about renewal. The rain, the wind, the sun, the earth. The cycle of life.
I can make it through today.
Marla walked inside. Carson leaned against the bar between the living area and the dining room. A steaming cup of coffee set on the bar beside him. He was on a business call. Such calls were a normal part of his day. Dressed in a tailored black suit with a gray-striped tie, he literally had success stamped all over him.
After his call had ended, she asked, “Are you still going to Honolulu?”
“Yeah.” He took a sip of coffee. When they had disembarked from the yacht at six this morning, he had told her he had arranged a business meeting with a potential investor in Honolulu this morning. He was traveling via helicopter, and he would be back after lunch.
He glanced at the time. “Olivia is supposed to let me know when she’s ready. I’ve asked her to go with me,” he said. “I need to talk to her without Simon present.”
That surprised Marla. “You don’t like Simon?”
“It’s not that I don’t like him. I just want to talk to Olivia. Sort of brother-to-sister.”
Marla smiled as she walked into the dining room where a fresh fruit platter had been delivered with breakfast. She speared a strawberry. “Are you going to advise her on marriage?”
“You could say that. This is Olivia’s first marriage and her first baby. She needs to protect herself and the baby.”
His comment surprised her. “You think Simon could be abusive?”
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t mean that,” he said. “I want to talk to her about her prenup.”
“Oh.” Marla nodded and ate another strawberry. She didn’t personally know of anyone who had a prenuptial agreement. She had heard of them on celebrity gossip shows, and Olivia was a celebrity. “I suppose it would be a good thing.”
“You can’t risk getting married without one.”
She toyed with a grape. “Really?”
“Of course not. Olivia has substantial assets, as does Simon. In case of a divorce, she needs to retain her assets, as well as full custody of her child. Her prenup should guarantee that.”
The mention of custody struck a nerve deep inside Marla. She ate the grape, but she didn’t taste it. She darted a glance his way. “I thought prenuptial agreements were just about money.”
“For some people, yes.” He checked his phone. “A prenup is a legal contract between two parties. The agreement can contain whatever you feel is important to have settled prior to a divorce. In the event that happens,” he added. “It usually includes division of property, forfeiture of assets, guardianship, support. Stuff like that. I
had my attorney draw up a draft when I was having some other legal work done a few years ago. I’m going to tell Olivia to contact him.”
Apprehension closed its cold fingers around her heart. “So, the prenup would state how much child support you would be willing to pay and that sort of thing?”
He looked up. “Child support is irrelevant. I have more than enough money to take care of any children I father. My prenup guarantees I won’t lose custody of my children in a divorce dispute. It states that I will get sole custody and full parental rights over any children born during the marriage.”
A tremor skirted through her body. “That might not hold up in court.”
“I have one of the best legal firms in the country representing me and my company. It will hold up in court.”
She moved away from the dining table, putting distance between them. There was even more distance growing inside her as she realized how easily lovers could become enemies. “It seems you’re making your child a commodity.”
He frowned. “No. Not at all. But I have to protect myself and my children. I have to take precautions. That’s all the prenup is, and hopefully it will always be nothing more than an unnecessary safeguard.”
“You’re talking about demanding custody of children who aren’t even born yet.” She forged on through a minefield set to blow her apart.
“True. And by doing that, I’m assured, if and when they are born, they will never be used for financial gain or as a weapon against me,” he said. “I’m not letting my kids be treated like that, and I don’t want to be a weekend dad either.”
“I suppose that’s commendable,” she said in a tight voice as tentacles of fear wrapped themselves around her and started to squeeze the life out of the future.
“My father was there for me every day as long as he lived. When my mother was killed, he got me through that loss, even though, his heart was broken into a million pieces. He put me first. He said that’s what it meant to be a father. You put your kids first and you protect them.
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