Dealmaker, Heartbreaker

by Rochelle Alers

  Viviana laughed and went on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Bite your tongue, brother. When have you known me to need a tanning salon? I just got back from the Bahamas.”

  Leland took the bags from her loose grip. “How long were you there?”

  “Three weeks.”

  “Who did you go with?”

  She looped her arm through her brother’s, and they climbed the porch together. “What makes you think I went with someone?”

  Reaching over her head, Leland opened the door. “Because I happen to know my little sister better than she believes I do. You’ve never traveled alone.”

  She had to agree with Leland. He did know her well, perhaps better than she knew herself. They had always been open with each other, and she knew she’d disappointed him when she’d finally told him that she was going to lose the house. His voice had been very calm, almost emotionless, when he said he would take care of it. And his taking care of it translated into him filing discharge papers to become a civilian and return home in order to give her the financial support to save their ancestral home.

  “I went with Noah Wainwright.”

  “Did you enjoy yourself?”

  Viviana’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t expected him to ask her that. “Of course I did.”

  Leland stopped in the entryway and set the bags on a chair next to a table crowded with photographs of his and Angela’s wedding and of Malcolm and Zoe at various ages. Light from the hallway fixture glinted off his wavy raven-black hair. Looking at him, Viviana realized her brother looked more and more like their father as he aged.

  “I’m glad for you, Vivi. It’s about time you met someone whose agenda is not to take advantage of you.”

  “When did you become a cheerleader for Noah?”

  “When I sat down with the man to talk about selling off land we hadn’t used and didn’t need, I knew within a few minutes that he was someone I could trust. And if I could trust him, then I’d trust him with you. Anyone with eyes could see that the man was gaga over you—he couldn’t stop staring. And even though you were giving the man attitude and the stink eye, he wasn’t going to let that stop him from getting to you.”

  She flashed a demure smile. “Well, he did get to me when I finally agreed to become his date for a destination wedding. He extended the stay when we checked in to his family’s vacation resort and went island-hopping. I bought gifts for you, Angela and the twins, but I don’t want you to open them until Christmas.”

  Leland nodded. “I’ll hide the bag in the crawl space.”

  Viviana glanced around the two-story house with an open floor plan. The entryway opened out to family, living and dining rooms that flowed into a state-of-the-art eat-in kitchen with a breakfast bar seating four. “How long do you plan to rent this house?”

  “We decided to buy the house instead of renting it. I used my GI Bill.”

  She stared, shocked at this disclosure. “You’re planning to live here permanently?”

  “That’s something I wanted to talk to you about in person.”

  “I’m here, Lee. So, please talk to me.”

  Viviana sat on a stool at the cooking island and listened intently as her brother told her that he and his wife had had a number of conversations about permanently relocating. Even though she hadn’t wanted to leave Wickham Falls because her first husband and the father of her children was buried there, she wanted to start over without folks from The Falls pointing fingers and whispering about her marrying her late husband’s best friend.

  Suddenly she felt as if everyone she loved had moved away from Wickham Falls, leaving her totally alone to deal with some of the narrow-minded townspeople who refused to forget the atrocities perpetrated on their ancestors because of the Wolfes’ need to control those who worked for them.

  You should be happy for your brother because he has gone through enough with those who blamed him for the sins of our father, her silent voice taunted. “Angela’s right, and you also need a new start, Lee. And based on what I saw on the way here, I think it’s perfect for you and your family.”

  Leland gathered her close to his chest. “You’re all right with me living here?”

  “Of course I’m all right, Lee. In fact, I feel somewhat responsible for this new phase of your life.”

  “How’s that, sis?”

  “If I hadn’t called to tell you I was drowning in debt and about to lose the house, you would’ve stayed in the army and probably wouldn’t have had the chance to reunite with the girl who’d always had your heart.”

  His black sweeping eyebrows lifted. “You know about that?”

  “Duh,” she drawled. “I saw the way you used to look at Angela whenever she and Justin came to the house to study. You spent more time staring at her than you did at your books.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Would you have believed me? You probably would’ve told me to mind my own business and that I was too young to know anything that went on between a boy and girl.”

  Leland nodded, smiling. “You’re so right. Angela, Miss Joyce and the kids are still asleep. We were up late prepping everything, so the only thing we have to do is roast the turkey and put the sides in the oven. Miss Joyce is staying in the guestroom closest to the staircase, and Angela has prepared the other bedroom for you.”

  “Thanks, Lee. If it’s all right with you, I’m going to get my bags and take a nap because I was up before the chickens to get down here, before the roads got too crowded.”

  “Go on upstairs. Your bedroom is the last one down the hall on the right. Give me your fob, and I’ll bring your bags up and leave them outside the door.”

  Slipping off the stool, Viviana reached into her tote and handed Leland the fob to her car and then headed for the staircase. She was happy for her brother. He’d married the woman he’d always loved and was now father to two adorable children, lived in a modern subdivision and was studying to become a professional chef. He had finally gotten everything he’d wanted out of life, while her future was still in limbo.

  Viviana was certain her application would be approved, and then she would be faced with waiting until it was reversed and she could reopen the B and B. She wasn’t counting on locals to check in but tourists who occasionally came to the region to shop or tour some of the closed mines or those who were just passing through and needed a clean bed for the night.

  * * *

  “Good grief, girl, what happened to your face?”

  Viviana smiled over Zoe’s reddish hair at Joyce Mitchell as she walked into the kitchen. Angela’s mother-in-law hadn’t changed much. She had always been outspoken and said whatever came to her mind. “Hello, Miss Joyce. I was vacationing in the Bahamas.”

  Angela turned to look at her mother-in-law. “I think her tan is incredible. Her complexion is so even that she doesn’t even need foundation.”

  Viviana gave her sister-in-law a barely perceptible wink. Her nap had been preempted when she heard someone tapping on the bedroom door. When she’d got up to answer, she saw Zoe looking up at her with a strange look on her little round face until she recognized Auntie Vivi. All sleep was forgotten when the three-year-old talked incessantly about her new house and how Viviana had to see her room because her dolls had their own house. Knowing she wasn’t going back to sleep, she carried Zoe downstairs to the kitchen.

  Angela was also up, and she ushered her children into the bathroom and instructed them to brush their teeth and take a bath before meeting company. Joyce was the last to get up, and she made a big show of kissing her grandchildren until they pushed her away.

  “Did you go with a man?” the older woman asked.

  “Yes, I did,” Viviana said truthfully. She wasn’t about to lie to the woman, because at twenty-nine, she felt she had to answer only to herself for her actions.

  “Is it serious?” Joy
ce continued with her questioning.

  Leland and Angela looked at Joyce as if she had taken leave of her senses for asking something so personal. “Nah,” Viviana drawled nonchalantly. “We’re just friends. He needed a date for his friend’s wedding, and I agreed to be his plus-one.” She knew if she didn’t give Joyce an explanation, the woman would draw her own conclusions, and once back in The Falls, the rumors would spread like wildfire that the Wolfe girl was involved with a man. It didn’t matter that she was a Remington, since to those in The Falls, she was and would always be a Wolfe.

  Joyce pushed out her lips. “I wish someone would take me to the islands for a little rest and relaxation, too.”

  Leland turned to stare at her. “What do you think we were doing when Angela and I invited you to go with us on the cruise to the Caribbean?”

  A flush suffused the older woman’s light brown complexion. “I’m sorry. I forgot about that.”

  Zoe tugged on the end of Viviana’s ponytail. “I like your hair.” The child’s compliment shattered the tense silence.

  Viviana kissed the red flyaway curls. “And I like your hair. I always wanted red hair because I have freckles. Somehow freckles and red hair go together.”

  The three-year-old touched her button nose. “I have spots on my nose.”

  “They’re called freckles, sweetness,” Viviana said.

  Zoe laughed. “Daddy says I’m a sweet little girl.”

  Viviana stared over her head at Leland. “That’s because your daddy is right.”

  Malcolm walked into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. “I’m still sleepy,” he said around a wide yawn.

  Angela took a carton of eggs out of the French-door refrigerator. “That’s because someone doesn’t want to go to bed when he’s told.”

  Malcolm was the mirror image of his late father. He’d inherited his taupe-brown complexion, light brown eyes and curly hair. He patted Leland’s arm to get his attention. “Daddy, can I go back to bed?”

  Bending slightly, Leland scooped the boy up in his arms. “After you eat breakfast, you can go back to bed. Okay?”

  Malcolm nodded. “Okay.”

  Viviana marveled at how easy it was for Leland to adapt to the role of father to Angela’s twins. They had even talked to their grandmother about him legally adopting them, and Joyce Mitchell was in agreement when they informed her that her grandchildren would be known by Mitchell-Remington.

  As soon as breakfast concluded, Leland took the turkey out of the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature before he would put it into the oven. Viviana wanted to stay up and talk with Angela, but fatigue won over, and she retreated to her bedroom with Zoe in tow, and they climbed into bed together and fell asleep.

  * * *

  Viviana waited until Monday to drive back to Wickham Falls. She’d spent four fun-filled days with her family. Leland did all of the cooking, and after dinner everyone would retreat to the lower level that had been converted into space for relaxing and entertaining. She watched animated movies with her niece and nephew and joined Leland when he turned on the large wall-mounted television to watch college and professional football games.

  She discovered that interacting with Malcolm and Zoe stirred latent maternal instincts for the first time in her life. She played house with Zoe, and they sat on the floor pretending they were having a tea party. Viviana didn’t begrudge her brother his happiness, but it did remind her of how lonely her life had become. All of her college girlfriends lived in other states, and she had lost contact with the girls with whom she had gone to the parochial school.

  She thought she wouldn’t have felt so isolated if the B and B was open for business. Even if she only had one guest, she would feel better knowing someone other than herself was in the house.

  Viviana found herself checking her cell phone to see if she’d missed a call or text from Noah, but she’d gotten only two texts since leaving him on the plane at the Tri-State Airport. She was beginning to think he was the type of man who subscribed to a philosophy of out of sight, out of mind. She lost track of the number of times she’d picked up her phone to call him, but the voice in her head said she was a fool to chase a man who didn’t think enough of her to call and want to talk to her.

  By midweek, the urge to call him proved too much, and she tapped his number. It rang three times before she heard a woman’s voice. “Hello.”

  Viviana hesitated over hanging up. “I’m sorry, but I must have dialed the wrong number.”

  “Is this Viviana Remington?”

  She went completely still. “Yes, it is. Who’s asking?”

  “I’m Chanel, Noah’s sister. When he came back from vacation, he complained about not feeling well but couldn’t stop talking about you. Right now, Noah is sick with the flu. In fact, everyone in the house has it. I’m the only one who isn’t sick, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed it will pass me by.”

  Viviana felt her stomach knot up. “How is he?”

  “Not good. We had to call the doctor because he’s been throwing up. I tried to get him to drink some water, but he can’t keep anything down. I’m afraid he’s going to become dehydrated, and he’ll have to be hospitalized and given fluids intravenously.”

  “I’m coming up to New York.”

  “Stay the hell where you are because you don’t want what we have here. We even banned Giles from the house because we don’t want him to give it to Mya.”

  Chanel mentioning Giles’s wife reminded Viviana that Mya was in the early stages of her pregnancy. “You have my number, so I want you to call me and give me updates on his condition. And tell him if he doesn’t try to take some liquids, I am coming up to New York to wait until he’s feeling better, then I’m going to break up with him. Make certain you tell him exactly what I’ve just said.”

  There came a beat. “I will, Viviana.” There was another pause. “Are you in love with my brother?”

  “Yes, I am.” What did his sister expect her to do? Lie?

  “Good, because it’s obvious he’s crazy about you.”

  “Don’t forget to call me, Chanel.”

  “I won’t. Viviana?”

  “Yes?”

  “When will the family get to meet you?”

  Viviana noticed she’d said the family as if the entire Wainwright clan had to give their seal of approval for her to be accepted to date Noah. “I don’t know, Chanel. Maybe we’ll get to meet each other sometime next year.”

  “I can’t wait. I’ll tell Noah you called.”

  “Thank you.”

  Viviana ended the call and chided herself for harboring negative thoughts. The man she loved hadn’t been able to call her because he was sick, and she was ready to kick him to the curb. And Chanel mentioning Mya’s condition reminded her to buy fabric to make a crib quilt or two. She’d promised Seth that she would make one for his wife once they announced they were having a baby; meanwhile, she had nothing but time to make a few for Mya.

  * * *

  Chanel sent her daily texts, with accompanying emojis, on Noah’s condition and attitude. They went from angry faces to one with a mouth covered with a band of expletives. She said that he had lost his voice but he’d said as soon he was able to talk, he would call her. Thankfully he was on a light diet and beginning to take liquids. Everyone was recovering, albeit slowly, and were in better spirits now and getting into the mood of the holiday, now that the staff had begun putting up Christmas decorations.

  Viviana kept busy putting together squares of fabric by hand. Her aunt had taught her to quilt by hand because she claimed it was more authentic than using a sewing machine. It was more laborious and she was careful to make certain all of her stitches were the same. When she’d walked into the department store in town, she went directly to the section where she could find the needlecraft supplies and spent more than hour going through fat quarters, th
read, needles and thimbles. She’d also bought knitting needles, crochet hooks and baby yarn in soft pastel shades. She knew she was buying duplicates because her aunt had packed away all of her needlecraft supplies in the attic, but Viviana did not want to lift and shift cartons until she found what she needed.

  Placing a cloth over the table in the kitchen, she placed the backing for one quilt over the cloth and then strategically pinned the squares. To save time, Viviana decided to attach the squares to the backing with yarn and secure each corner with a neatly tied bow. She’d just finished threading a yarn needle when her cell phone rang.

  A slight frown furrowed her forehead when she recognized her aunt’s number. “Hello, Aunt Babs.”

  “Hey, baby. How are you?”

  “I’m good. How’s my uncle?”

  “He’s also good. I’m calling to tell you we’re not going to be here for Christmas. We entered a contest hosted by our church’s fund-raiser and won first prize. We’re going to Rome for Midnight Mass at St. Peter’s. I’m sorry to call you so late because I know you’ve bought your ticket, so let me know what you paid for it, and I’ll reimburse you.”

  Viviana collapsed on the chair like a ragdoll. First her brother was going out of the country, and now her aunt and uncle. “Don’t worry about the money, Aunt Babs. The ticket is refundable. I can always use the money for another trip.”

  “That makes me feel a little better. But I’m still sorry—”

  “Please don’t apologize. You’ve been talking about going to Rome for Christmas for as long as I can remember, and now it’s going to happen.”

  “I promise to bring back something nice for you.”

  “You don’t have to do that. Just be safe.”

  “Thank you, Vivi. I love you, baby.”

  Viviana smiled. “I love you, too.”

  She ended the call, closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. It wouldn’t be the first Christmas she would be alone, but it was the first time that she wanted to spend it with someone she truly loved. Well, she was a big girl, and as such, she had to adjust to the unexpected. Viviana opened her eyes and went back to finishing the quilt. It had taken her five days to complete one crib quilt, and instead of beginning another, she had decided to crochet a pair of baby booties.