Lily's Dream (Unexpected Lover Series)

by Collins, Lea

  Miami is so beautiful,” Lily commented. Molly agreed. “I just love the white buildings with unique architecture and palm trees. It’s so different from anywhere else I’ve ever been. I particularly love the ocean breeze and, of course, the beautiful ocean, although I’ve only seen it once,” added Molly.

  “When I get back from Chicago, we will go to South Beach and swim, do water sports or just walk along the boardwalk…. whatever you want to do,” Andrew told Molly. “I leave tomorrow morning and will be gone for about a week, maybe less. I’m in a hurry to finish up there and get back,” he reached for her hand and smiled. She blushed and smiled back at him.

  Lily was unusually quiet and Andre reminded her they left uncertainties behind and were going to have fun.

  The Red Parrot turned out to be unique indeed. The sidewalks and floors were made of shells, with numerous species of parrots in cages at intervals both outside and inside. There were several floors, with one outside along a canal. Shells decorated the walls along with palm trees and other tropical shrubbery. They decided to sit outside where different colored lights revolved making an interesting atmosphere. Keith had told them to sit in a corner or with a wall behind them so they found a corner and asked to be seated there.

  There were boats bobbing at anchor along the canal where the owners had come by boat for dinner. Both women were enjoying the atmosphere and Andre complimented his father on finding such an interesting restaurant. “It would be cool to have a boat and just ride up and down the canal. I guess it would get tiresome, though,” commented Lily.

  “No, it wouldn’t. It’s very restful to float along on a boat and try not to run into another boat or a jet ski,” Andre added. “Actually it is restful if you are careful where you go. It’s very crowded around here with so many boats. Find a place less crowded and it’s wonderful to spend a day on your boat. I sold mine because I never used it but perhaps now I might use one if my wife wants to.”

  Their drinks had arrived, their food orders placed and Molly asked Andrew, “Okay, what’s this big surprise you have to tell us?”

  Andrew told him about his plans for his store and that he had already talked with the mall manager. “Your plans for the store sound exciting. It would certainly be different from the other three high end dress stores in the mall but there are no empty store spaces right now,” pointed out Lily. “We will have to wait and see about that. The manager is going to discuss my plan with the owner and if he wants a store such as I have in mind, spaces may become available,” responded Andrew. “I want my store to be the most unique high end store anywhere. I hope both of you ladies will give me your input.”

  Their food arrived and they continued discussing Andrew’s store idea. “I will call my lawyer tomorrow and ask for his opinion but I think my contract with Jacqueline reads that she sells the Lily Collection but not all the clothes I make if they are part of another collection with another name. I want to start another collection for older and bigger women and am thinking of calling it the Chic Collection. If I do that, then it wouldn’t be part of the Lily Collection unless the contract implies any clothes I make. Of course, this would make Jacqueline furious and present a very awkward situation.”

  Suddenly Lily tensed and was staring at the entrance to their floor. She had paled and Andre said, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Then he looked where she was looking and said, “Oh, hell.” He started to get up from his seat but Keith had suddenly appeared at their side and motioned for him to keep seated and cautioned them not to say anything.

  Jenny and Jack looked around and spotted Lily and started walking toward them. “Well, if it isn’t my loving sister and her boyfriend. We thought we might join you. No? Now that’s not very friendly of you. I’ve been so friendly with you lately, sending you notes and stuff.” She was getting very annoyed that no response was coming from Lily. “Hell, can’t you can talk to your sister after we hurried to get here?”

  By this time Jenny’s voice was loud and shrill. Both she and Jack looked unkempt as if they had dressed in a hurry. Patrons were beginning to notice the commotion. The manager hurried up to the table and asked if there was some problem. “The damned bitch won’t talk to me!” screamed Jenny. Jack just looked embarrassed.

  The manager told Jenny she was causing a disturbance and would have to leave. “Hell, no I’m not leaving. I just got here.”

  The manager motioned and two large muscular men took her arms and led her out of the restaurant with Jack following. The manager apologized to Lily and her friends for the inconvenience. “Crazies aren’t tolerated in our establishment,” he said. “Consider your meal on the house as our apology for this interruption. I hope you enjoy your meal.”

  “She is crazy but smart crazy. How did she know where we were?” commented Andrew. “They knew our destination and looked like they had dressed hurriedly, perhaps in the car.”

  Andre had immediately put his arm around Lily and, to his surprise, found her angry. “I’m tired of this. She is stalking me, deliberately trying to upset me. I don’t know how far this mental problem of hers will take her but I want this finished. I want to go home and talk with Mom. It’s time I know the truth. After thinking about it, I believe that Jenny has always had a mental problem which explains her temper tantrums and perhaps why my parents always gave in to her to avoid one. I want to fly to Cincinnati, Andre, and confront my parents. She may follow me there and then maybe we can finish this. I have truly had it.”

  “If you want to go to Cincinnati, then we will go tomorrow. Keith should go with us. Andrew, can you postpone your trip to Chicago to stay here and look after Molly?” asked Andre.

  “I don’t need looking after! I’m not a baby, for goodness sakes. I have been looking after myself for many years,” Molly interrupted.

  “Of course I will postpone it. You are precious to me, Molly, and I wouldn’t leave you alone. Actually it would be my pleasure to look after you,” Andrew said with a smile.

  Andre had been thinking about the ease with which they are followed by Jenny. “We always take the same car and there are electronic bugs that can be placed on a car to trace it. I think that’s what they’re using. We’ll get Keith’s take on this when we get home. Let’s go now and discuss our future plans.”

  They left the restaurant slowly giving Lily and Molly time to look at the parrots. Many of them talked and Molly particularly liked a red Macaw that said, “Hello baby.”

  They arrived at the apartment and all went on up to the penthouse apartment anticipating Keith’s take on the incident at the restaurant.

  After all were seated, Keith said, “I learned several interesting things tonight. I think they have an electronic bug somewhere on the car. That’s how they know where we’re going and I will find it either tonight or tomorrow but let’s discuss that later.

  They have a room somewhere close where they can watch with binoculars for Lily to emerge the building. There’s a hotel and an apartment building in the right position across the street but I would guess they’re staying at the hotel and take turns watching your apartment entrance. They are really determined to spend that much time watching the building. Jenny admitted that she sent the envelopes. I was hoping she’d get mad enough to let something slip and she did. I think she has had enough of trying to scare you and intends to end it. I saw in her eyes tonight the kill look. In the business we call it the kill look which is just a sharpening of the eyes, a certain look that you will recognize once you’ve seen it several times. I think she would have tried to kill you if there hadn’t been so many people around.

  If you’re serious about ending this once and for all, then I suggest we leave the bug on the car so they’ll know where we’re going. Lily and Andre leave with luggage and they will get to the airport as soon as possible. Let your Mother know, Lily, in case they call her but it is possible for them to find out your destination. Hopefully they will arrive there, too, and we will be ready for them. How does this plan sound to y
ou?”

  Andre and Lily both thought it was good and agreed to Keith’s plan. Andre called and was able to get reservations for three on a flight tomorrow morning.

  So it was settled.

  Chapter 13

  Molly and Andrew looked at each other as Andrew pushed the button for Molly’s floor. When they entered the apartment, Andrew picked her up and kissed her lightly. “Why do you always pick me up?” Molly asked. “Because I like to have my arms around you and you’re as light as a feather. How much do you weigh anyway?” “One hundred five pounds.”

  He sat down and settled her in his lap. He started playing with her hair, pulling a curl out and letting it spring back close to her head. “I just love your hair.” She smiled and they looked into each other’s eyes. Moments passed and he continued, “I think it’s time for us to reach an understanding or perhaps a commitment would be a better word. You know how I feel about you. I have told you many times how much I love you but you have never said how you feel about me. I want to know. Just tell me the truth.”

  They looked into each other’s eyes and Molly said, “Andrew, I am attracted to you but am not ready for a relationship. I have just started going out and you are coming on too fast for me. You need to give me more time. Once you are divorced, we can go out. You need to meet and date other women. Please give me more time.”

  “Exactly what are you saying?”

  Molly put a hand on each side of his face and declared, “I am attracted to you. I like you very much and it’s possible that I might fall in love with you. But this is just too soon.”

  “Rosa is coming to sew today and I promised Lily I’d be there so I need to shower and get ready. I really need to hurry.”

  .

  ***********

  Lily, Andre and Keith arrived at the Cincinnati Airport and rented a car for the drive. The Cincinnati International Airport is actually in Kentucky so they drove across the Ohio River and into Cincinnati with Lily directing them to the suburb where her parents lived. She had called her mother that morning and told her to expect them. She realized her mother knew her well enough to know that something was wrong. The three of them arrived to find her mother very puzzled. Lily introduced Andre, her new husband, and Keith as a close friend. Her mother was surprised because Jenny had called to ask if she expected Lily and Andre today. When told she was, Jenny told her mother she and Jack would arrive today also.. “She hasn’t called in months and now she calls to tell me they’re visiting the same day you are. That’s very strange. Something is going on and I’d like to know what.”

  “That’s why we’re here, Mom. I want some truthful answers to questions that I have. I know that Jenny is not my blood sister.”

  Her mother interrupted to tell her she was very wrong and couldn’t imagine what gave her that idea.

  “Here are the facts. Jenny has been stalking me for weeks and has tried to harm me several times. She has send threatening letters and caused scenes at restaurants. The police compared the DNA of the saliva on the envelopes with mine and found that we are not related. She is acting more and more unstable and we think she has mental problems. Everywhere I go she follows me and we expected she would show up here. I want to know why I have been raised thinking she is my sister and why you have lied to me all my life.”

  Lily’s mother seemed to wilt when faced with the facts. She started crying and they all waited for her to compose herself. “I never wanted you to know this, Lily. But it seems the time has come. Your father was Kevin Houston, my high school sweetheart. He joined the Army and was sent overseas where he was killed. You were six months old.

  Harold’s wife was having serious mental problems and she was put in a mental hospital where she killed herself. He had a daughter three years old. We decided to marry and to avoid questions, changed your last name to Walters. We saw early on that Jenny had inherited some mental problems from her mother and we didn’t know how to handle it. Maybe we did the wrong thing, I don’t know. We let her have her way to avoid her temper tantrums and she could be violent at times.

  I know it was difficult for you when you were growing up. She was so slow learning to walk and talk that we decided to tell everyone you are older when, in fact, she is.”

  “Do you have any idea what hell Jenny put me through all the years we were growing up? Why I stayed in my room all the time, shy and with no self-confidence? Sometimes I’d spend hours making something and when I got home from school, it was cut into pieces. I didn’t go crying to you because I knew it would do no good. It seemed Jenny could do no wrong.

  There is no way I would put a child in the situation I was in all the years I lived here. You and Dad were just too damned scared of her to care at all about me. I will never forgive you for what you let happen to your own child.”

  Footsteps were heard on the front porch and into the room burst Jenny and Jack following. “Well, well, well…..what a lovely little family gathering. I guess Lily brought her fancy husband to meet her family. Oh, yes, I know you got married in a pathetic little Justice of the Peace ceremony. I figured out a way to know everywhere you went. Pretty smart of me, don’t you think? You think you’re so smart, sweet little shy Lily suddenly turned into a blond trying to be like me. I’ve got news for you. You’ll never be as pretty or as smart as me. I’ve always hated you. You were always in the way and now I can finally get rid of you once and for all.”She pulled a revolver out of her purse and pointed it at Lily.

  She was so focused on Lily and Andre that she had not even noticed Keith who had slowly removed his gun from its holster and held it close to his leg.

  “Say goodbye, Lily” and she aimed her gun at Lily but Keith was quicker and shot the gun out of her hand. She immediately started screaming that her hand was shot and it was indeed bleeding profusely.

  Lily had jumped up from the couch when Jenny was shot and Keith quickly moved her over to his right out of his line of fire. He had been watching Jack, not sure what he was going to do. Jenny was screaming and crying that she was bleeding to death and begging someone to call an ambulance.

  Jack stepped away from the fireplace mantle where he had been leaning and said, “Sorry folks. It’s not over yet. I have something to settle with Lily, too. She was engaged to me and just left me in the clutches of this crazy bitch. I think the best way to get back at my darling Lily is to kill her loving husband. Then she will know how I felt.” He removed his hand from his pocket to point a pistol at Andre.

  Suddenly Lily’s father appeared at the dining room door and asked, “What’s going on in here?” This started Jack and he turned his head toward the door giving Lily a chance to grab one of her mother’s heavy brass lamps and slam it into Jack’s head with all her strength. At the same time a shot rang out as Keith shot at Jack’s hand holding the gun and hit his wrist.

  Andre rushed over to Lily and took her in his arms asking, “Are you okay, Lily?” She replied, “He was going to kill you. Are you all right?” “Yes.”

  Lily rushed over to Jack’s body lying motionless where he’d fallen and kicked him. Andre quickly grabbed her and took her in his arms, “I’m okay, darling girl. Calm down.”

  They all heard the police siren and in minutes the room was taken over by the police. They saw two bodies and at least two guns and called for backup. They demanded all weapons and Andre pointed out Jenny’s gun as she continued her screaming that she was dying and nobody would get her medical help. The second gun was lying beside Jack and Keith handed them his gun with registration and identification card.

  Satisfied that they had all the weapons, the police examined Jenny and declared she had been shot in the hand. Jack was beginning to moan and the police realized he’s been shot in the wrist. The police photographer had been taking pictures. When she finished, the police let the paramedic load Jenny and Jack into the ambulances. “He won’t be using that wrist for a while. It was sure torn up,” commented one of the policemen.

  Lily’s father was look
ing on in confusion from one person to the other. “Will somebody please tell me what’s going on? Jenny’s screaming she’s bleeding to death and Jack is bleeding and knocked out cold or dead, I don’t know which.” A policeman told him to sit down, nobody’s dead so just shut up.

  Andre told the policy about the situation in Miami and gave them the names of the two detectives they had been working with there. One policeman immediately called Miami to verify this information. He spoke with Lt. Malone who explained the situation in Miami. He gave Keith an excellent reference and said he was glad the threats and attempts to kill Lily were over. To everyone’s relief, everything checked out and Andre asked, “My wife is exhausted. Can we leave now?” “You need to give a statement. Come on down to the precinct and we’ll get that done quickly. Then you’ll be free to go.”

  Lily’s mother had not said a word since Jenny rushed in. She had been sitting unmoving in her chair looking on in shock. Lily glanced over at her mother, went over to her and sat down next to her. “You are still my Mom and I love you in spite of everything. I will get in touch with you later when the wounds aren’t so raw. I realize you did what you thought was best at the time.” Lily’s mother started crying and softly said, “I have always loved you.”

  They went down to the precinct to give their statements. While Lily was giving her statement, Andre expressed his concerns with the police that Jenny and Jack would resume their attempts to do harm to them. The policeman said he didn’t think so since Jenny and Jack would be charged with attempted murder and likely Jenny would be put in a psychiatric facility. He didn’t know what would happen with Jack but considering his father is a prominent banker in Chicago, he thought Jack would be kept out of any further trouble by his father.

  After Lily, Andre and Keith had completed their statements, they were told they could go.

  Lily went over to Andre and put her arms around him. “I want to go home,” she said.