“I’ve done that, Stephan. I’ve pretty much begged him.” Livvie hated telling Stephan the truth.
Stephan looked at her for a brief moment before responding. “When I met you at Drake’s lunch, I was attracted to you because I saw a woman who was being treated poorly and yet held her head up high. You were warm at that lunch. You spoke to everyone. You laughed when you wanted to cry, and you handled yourself with class and dignity. Most of all, I was drawn to your strength,” Stephan said. “If you truly begged Drake to be with you, then you just lost yourself for a moment. Find your strength again. Figure out where you got lost, and then fight for him. At that lunch, Drake wanted the same woman I wanted. Don’t allow Drake to take your power, especially since he hasn’t earned it. Once you have your power back, fight for him. You’ll have a much better chance at winning.” He didn’t say anything more. He looked at her for one more second and then turned back around and closed the door.
Stephan was right. Since Livvie came back from Napa, she hadn’t found the time to ground herself. Aside from writing, she needed a yoga class. Mostly, she needed to figure out who she was without the job drama and the men drama. She needed her best friend.
Livvie picked up her cellphone and called Carly. It went to voicemail again. Sitting back in the chair, she closed her eyes. She needed time to think.
* * * * *
Hours later, what Stephan had said was still running through Livvie’s mind. He thought she should fight for Drake once she was whole again.
With Liam, there’d been no point. He loved another woman. And with Zach, they wanted two different things. She wanted to be monogamous, and he didn’t. To top it off, he wasn’t in love with her. So no reason to fight there. But Drake had said he cared about her, and he had invested more in her than his other past relationships, although he refused to call it that. So it came down to whether or not she was willing to put her heart at risk and fight for him or not. Drake was wrong. She wasn’t looking for a hero. She was looking for real love. Livvie would have preferred to ask Carly her opinion, but Livvie needed to make this decision for herself. She picked up her cellphone and called the one person she never thought she would call in her life.
“Hi, Veronica, it’s Livvie. I need your help.” And as she took her leap of faith, she hoped and prayed it would not lead to more heartbreak. But even if it did, she’d learned that she had survived before, so she’d survive again. Most importantly, she needed to work on herself, and become strong again. She needed to get back to Livvie.
Chapter Twenty-Two
As if no time had passed, Livvie parked her rental car on the side of the road. This time, she’d chosen a black car, after mourning Drake for the last six weeks. She got out of the car, holding the door for emotional support, and gazed up at the castle that awaited her. Unlike the last time, she wasn’t showing up as a lucky raffle winner, although, at the time, she’d felt anything but lucky. It was funny how life worked. Many times throughout her life, the universe brought her opportunities and situations she dreaded and had resented, but they had ended up being the best thing for her. Like what happened with Liam. Finally, she understood.
Today she wasn’t a lucky raffle winner. Today she was a woman fighting to be with a man she could envision spending her life with. However realistic that was, she didn’t know, but thanks to Veronica, Livvie was here to find out. At first, she thought Veronica would discourage her fight, but not only had she been encouraging, she’d thought of a brilliant plan to make it happen. Which was why Livvie was back in Napa six weeks later. Veronica had made it very clear that it took a man six to eight weeks to truly miss a woman. After that time, he would either realize she was the love of his life, or she would realize there was nothing left between them other than one blissful, beautiful week and two nights together. She’d also listened to Stephan and had used the six weeks to work on herself.
Taking a deep breath, Livvie got back into her car and made the left to take her up to Morganthal Winery. The drive felt surreal. While her heart was beating like mad, a feeling of numbness washed over her. She wasn’t surprised. Numbing out her life was a survival tool she used when she felt scared.
And unlike last time, when she passed the security guard in front of his castle, she waved, and he let her pass without having her stop.
Her numbness dissolved the moment she pulled up before Drake’s castle. Her heart beat louder. There it was, standing strong and proud, like the owner. She hoped the proud part wouldn’t get in her way.
She didn’t stop in front of the castle. Instead, she drove a little farther and then made the first right, which took her to one of Drake’s guest cottages. Veronica had insisted Livvie stay in the castle, but she’d refused. She was courageous by coming here without his knowledge, but she didn’t have enough courage to stay in his home. If it was up to her, she would stay at a nearby hotel, but Veronica wouldn’t allow that. She had hired Livvie to write her memoirs, so Livvie didn’t have a lot of room to argue. Plus, Veronica was paying Livvie. She would have written Veronica’s memoirs for free, but Veronica said she’d always wanted to have them done, but she couldn’t write. And Livvie was spending her savings quickly. She really needed the money. She charged Veronica enough to pay her bills and added in a little extra for food. Veronica agreed, although she had wanted to pay Livvie a lot more. In the end, they’d both settled on her staying in one of Drake’s guest cottages. It would have felt too awkward if she stayed in his castle.
Maybe she shouldn’t have involved Drake’s mom at all, but she hadn’t been able to think of any other way. She only hoped she wasn’t making everything worse.
The road narrowed as soon as the guest cottages came into view. Veronica had warned her to be careful driving on it. The road became so narrow Livvie was lucky there was enough room for her rented SUV. But as she got a glimpse of the first cottage she smiled to herself. Between the narrow road and the fairytale-like cottages everything seemed so enchanting.
A white picket fence surrounded each little, white, thatched-roofed cottage. A cobblestone path led to the front door. She felt as if she was in Ireland. Between his castle, the cottages, the mountains, and the vineyard, this was the most beautiful place on Earth. And even though she’d stayed here for one week, she had only gotten a glimpse of these cottages from afar. She had never gotten this close to this area of the vineyard.
Veronica had told her to drive to the end of the road, and she would be staying at the last house on the right. Number 6. On the side of her house was a small driveway. When Livvie saw the cottage, tears welled up in her eyes, and she started to cry. It was so perfect. So what she needed. Since there was no cottage next to it, Drake’s vines were leaning against it. All she could see from the side of the house was his gorgeous vineyard. This was the perfect writer’s retreat.
Although she could barely see through her tears, she parked in the driveway and then grabbed her luggage from the trunk. As she rolled her luggage to the house, she noticed there were window boxes filled with different colored flowers. And then she stopped walking and stared. She hoped this would be her home for at least a few weeks, and if she was lucky, a month. Knowing Drake was nearby, she already felt safe and protected. As long as he didn’t hate her, everything would be okay. And even if he did hate her, she would deal with it.
She opened the gate, walked through, and then her breath caught in her throat. The view from her cottage overlooked everything—the mountains, the vineyard, and Drake’s castle. If she looked closely enough, she’d find his bedroom windows. Her heart felt as if it was melting.
Livvie found the key under the mat, exactly where Veronica said it would be. When she opened the door, she stood still. She had entered into a small, breathtaking living room. The wall opposite from her was all grey stone. And there was a spiral staircase protruding from the ceiling, which she felt would lead her to heaven. The terracotta floor and wood beam ceiling gave the cottage a homier feel. The couch was white with pink,
purple, and green floral throw pillows. There was an area rug with a floral print that matched the pillows. And the wooden coffee table matched the wood in the ceiling. A fireplace sat perfectly inside the stone wall, and on the right was an enormous bay window, which overlooked lush greenery—Drake’s vineyard to the left and the mountains that seemed to go on forever. But it wasn’t the majestic feel of the mountains that held her gaze captive. It was the intimidating castle that loomed over her cottage.
Taking a much-needed deep breath, Livvie closed the wooden door and leaned against it. If she had her way, she would climb the spiral staircase and hopefully find a bed, where she could escape her problems and remain in her fairy tale. So that was exactly what she did.
She climbed the spiral staircase carefully. At the top she found a room the same size as the living room, except instead of a stone wall, there was one full wall of windows. In front of the clear-glass wall was a king-sized bed with a fluffy white comforter and a wooden headboard. Without thinking twice, Livvie lay down on the bed, but before she closed her eyes she looked out the window and once again saw the ominous castle that seemed to be watching every move she made. The feeling didn’t scare her or make her feel uncomfortable. Instead, surprisingly, she felt at peace. She had no idea what the future held, but for the first time since she had left Morganthal Winery all those weeks ago, she felt as if she was home.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Livvie must have fallen asleep, because sometime later, she woke up to the sound of her cellphone ringing. With her eyes still closed she searched the bed for her purse, which she had tossed down on the mattress when she had collapsed on it.
“Hello?”
“Thank God you’re okay. I was getting worried about you.”
Livvie winced. She had promised to call Veronica the minute she arrived, but her heart had felt so heavy that the only thing she could think to do was to fall asleep. “I’m sorry. I dozed off.” She ran her free hand through her hair. “Thank you so much for inviting me to stay here. The place is beautiful.”
“I knew you’d love it. When Drake’s castle was under construction, I stayed there. It felt magical. It’s my favorite of all of his guest cottages,” Veronica said.
“Thank you. It’s lovely. I don’t feel like I’m in Napa.” Livvie sighed, needing to release the constant pressure on her heart. The sadness was overwhelming.
“It’s Drake’s version of Napa. Do you know he designed each cottage himself? But this particular one reminded me of you.” Veronica paused. “It’s beautiful and special. Drake normally goes for models and actresses. You’re different than they are because you’re more beautiful and you belong with Drake.”
“If only he believed that.”
“Oh, he does. That’s why he ran away from you. You scare him, Livvie.”
She glanced out the window. With the sun setting behind Drake’s castle it appeared to have a pink hue glistening over it, as if a love angel was casting a spell. How she wished that was true.
“Veronica, does he even know that I’m here?”
“No, not yet, but the plan is in effect, and he’ll know any minute now.”
“What’s your plan?” Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should have stayed home. Veronica thought this was a game, and to a certain degree, it was. But it was also Livvie’s life.
“Stop worrying, sweetie. All I did was leave your signed contract on the table in the entranceway.”
“Won’t Mr. Birkshire see it and give it to you?”
“No, I told him not to.”
Livvie heard someone on the phone yelling in the background. “Veronica, are you okay?”
“Motherrrrrrrrrrr!”
“Yes, Drake found the contract. I have to go.”
Veronica hung up. Livvie began to shake. She had never heard anyone yell so loudly in her entire life. Maybe she should pack her bags now. No, she had been hired to write a book, and even if Drake hated her, she would write it. Unless Veronica had made up the entire book idea. If that was the case, then Livvie was being played as much as Drake was. But right now she was too tired to care.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Livvie woke up to the sound of a key jiggling in her door. She threw the blanket off and jumped out of bed. Luckily, she was somewhat decent. After her call with Veronica, she’d gotten out of bed and had thrown on her matching white silk tank top and shorts. Her mom had gotten Livvie the pajama set last year for Christmas. It wasn’t the sexiest nightwear she owned, but it was still sexy. It hadn’t surprised her to receive such a gift from her mom. She really wanted Livvie to find love.
Whoever was at her door was having a hard time getting the key to work, which gave her enough time to run to the bathroom, brush her teeth, and smooth her hands through her hair. Veronica must be having a hard time opening her door. Who else would it be? The only other person who would come in here without knocking would be Drake. She hoped it wasn’t him. She wasn’t ready to see him yet.
When the jangling of the key continued, Livvie reached her limit. She ran downstairs and opened the door at the same time as the person finally got the door open. She collided with him. Drake Morganthal. If he hadn’t caught her, she would have fallen forward on her face. Classy, really classy. Although she loved the feeling of being held by him again, it was wrong. But instead of releasing him like she should, she grabbed onto the back of his neck and squeezed him even harder, not caring that she could barely breathe. She hadn’t been breathing for the last six weeks. Why start now? They had been the longest six weeks of her entire life. Sure, she had gotten a lot of writing done, and she did fun activities to make herself happy, but she missed him. He wasn’t hugging her back, though. Feeling silly, she slowly stepped out of his embrace.
The look in his eye confirmed that she’d done the right thing. Just three weeks ago, she had seen him on some magazine cover with a beautiful woman, but Veronica swore he wasn’t with anyone. At least the woman hadn’t been Kayla Brenson.
Drake stood there smirking. She needed to say something. Anything.
“Hi, Drake.”
“Hello, Olivia.” He was still smirking and obviously not making this easy for her.
“I’m sorry. I was napping, and then all of a sudden, I heard someone trying to open my door, and it freaked me out.”
“I understand, especially after what Zach pulled.”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“How have you been?” Drake grabbed on to the doorknob behind him, but he didn’t close the door.
“I’m good. Would you like to come in?”
“No.”
Butterflies were going wild in her stomach. She hadn’t seen him in so long. All she wanted to do was run back into his arms and hold him forever. He looked beautiful in his faded jeans and white polo shirt. He had been working…creating the wines he loved. But she didn’t tell him all that because she couldn’t read the look in his eyes. He didn’t seem to hate her, but he didn’t seem happy to see her, either. He seemed indifferent, which was worse than anything.
So she asked, “How have you been?”
Drake was staring at her intensely. Too intensely. “I’ve been great. Thank you.”
Livvie’s heart clenched. “I’m glad to hear it.” She wasn’t.
“Congratulations on getting a writing job.”
Livvie inhaled. He was angry. If only he’d just yell and get it over with. Anything but acting cold and distant.
“Thank you.” She tried to smile, but she couldn’t.
“And free room and board was included, I see.”
Livvie looked down at her bare feet. She wished she had thrown on a robe or something.
“Do you want me to leave?”
Drake chuckled, and it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “Why would I want you to leave? You struck a lucrative deal with my mother. I think it’s great.”
He was lying. She could see him clenching his jaw.
“Look, I’m sorry. As you already know, her
house is being renovated. So since she’s staying here…” Livvie cut herself off. What else could she say? After all, she was lying, too.
“Since she’s staying here, she thought it’d be a perfect time to write her memoirs. So she contacted you, the only talented writer she knows in the entire world, to write her book. Does that sound right?”
Livvie swallowed. “If you don’t want me on your property, just tell me. I can wait until she’s back in her house.”
“No. You can’t. Because the scheme my mother and you came up with was to stay at my house.”
“But I’m staying in your guesthouse.”
Drake clapped his hands once, causing her to jump. “Right, I’m sorry. I meant my property.”
Livvie sighed. “If you don’t want me here, then say it.” She was already mentally repacking her bags.
Drake slammed the door closed, forcing Livvie to take a step back. She’d been a lot happier when it was open. Before, there’d been the illusion of an escape. Now she felt trapped with a very angry man.
“How dare you come here after our expiration date,” Drake said through grinded teeth.
“I thought you said we were friends.”
Steam was practically coming out of his ears. “Friends, as in call a few times a year. Not friends that manipulate my mother into figuring out a way to stay on my property.”
Livvie stood up straighter. Without him realizing it, he had given her the answer she needed. All she had left was her pride. “I didn’t manipulate your mother at all, Drake. You’re wrong.” And that was the truth.
“Then why are you here, Olivia? Please, enlighten me.”
Livvie exhaled. She had nothing to lose. “I wanted to see you. I needed to see you.”
Drake’s eyes widened, and the coldness was replaced by panic. “Why? Did Zach try to harm you again?”
Risking Her Heart: A Contemporary Romance Novel Page 22
