Be My Warmth

by Shanade White

  While he was gone, she told the story again from the beginning, finally telling them about the box and its contents just as Flynn came back in the room. She opened the box and began to spread the contents on the desk, marveling again at the beauty she’d had hidden under her bed all these years.

  “These are the real thing.” Sabrina said, awestruck.

  “There’s more.” Tani said, and lifted an old book out of the box and shook it. A thin sheet of paper fluttered out and landed on the desk.

  No one touched it for a long time, but finally Flynn picked it up and opened it. “It’s a map, a well-drawn map, even I could follow this and I’ve never been to Egypt.”

  “My father must have drawn that right before he died, we’d already covered up the entrance and I guess he was afraid we might not be able to find it.” Tani said, tears running down her cheeks. “He knew that something bad was going to happen.”

  Flynn folded up the map and put it back in the book, then said, “Now that we’re all up to speed, what are we going to do? We can’t let those people come looking for Tani here.”

  “No, we’re not going to let that happen. We have to get this to someone who knows what to do with it.” Cooper said, drumming his fingers on the desk.

  “It can’t just be anyone.” Tani said, “I don’t want my father’s life’s work to be sold on the black market. These pieces need to be in museums where everyone can enjoy them, that’s what he would have wanted.”

  By the time they left the study, Tani was exhausted. Cooper had assured her that with the extra guard they were safe for the time being, then he called his brother Calvin and scheduled a family meeting. It had been a long time since they’d had a crisis in the family, but everyone was ready to help and as Flynn helped her to their bedroom, she realized just how lucky she was to have such wonderful people around her, but a little part of her was afraid that it might just get someone killed.

  When they met in the study the next morning after breakfast, Flynn and Tani were both shocked at the progress Cooper had made in only a few hours. He’d found the source of the leak that had led to her location being downloaded onto the internet. It had happened when a government computer had been hacked and the information sold.

  “What this tells us is that someone has been looking for you for a long time.” Cooper said after he’d shared the information he had. “Now we must figure out how to keep you safe from them, and Calvin and I both agree that the only way to do that is to get that tomb found in a very public display, then the artifacts can be properly catalogued and treated with the respect they deserve.”

  “That might work, except that you have to get permission to excavate anywhere in Egypt and that permission isn’t easy to get.” Tani said, having already thought of this herself. “It takes a lot of money to run a dig, even a small one can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

  “Well then it’s a good thing we’ve got more than enough money between us to fund a dig.” Cooper said, pulling out a sheet of paper and sliding it across the desk to Flynn. “This document makes you and Tani investors in the newest Terrell industries humanitarian project. We’re going to fund the dig ourselves, between my brothers and Flynn I think we can manage to dig up a tomb in the Egyptian desert and not empty our bank accounts.

  Flynn picked up the contract and looked it over quickly, then got out his phone and made a quick phone call. “The money will be in the account by the end of the day. Now what? Are we going to Egypt?”

  “Wait, you still have to get the permit and I don’t think they’ll ever issue a permit to dig there, not when there’s any chance that they could get it themselves.” Tani wanted to believe that Copper and Calvin could fix this, but couldn’t see how they’d pull it off.

  “They will if the permit is issued in your name.” Cooper said, sliding another sheet of paper across the desk, “You have the right to petition the Ministry for a permit since your father never finished his allotted time.”

  “I’ve never heard of such a thing.” Tani said, doubting Cooper.

  “Oh, it’s a law. You just have to know where to look. Calvin’s an expert at finding the right people to get us information, if he says it’s true you can believe it.” Cooper said, handing her a pen.

  We can’t use Tani as bait Cooper, it’s just too dangerous.” Flynn objected, but Tani had already begun to fill out the paperwork.

  “She’ll be perfectly safe, our plan to have guards everywhere and cameras recording the entire thing. The only tricky part is going to be getting her to the dig site. I can’t seem to get permission to land our private planes anywhere in Egypt, that means we’ll have to fly commercial which makes security that much more difficult.” Cooper seemed to have thought of everything and Tani knew that it was now or never. She had to put this part of her life to rest and exposing the location of the tomb was the only way to do that.

  “It’s okay Flynn, I need to do this.” Tani said, putting her hand on his arm, trying to convey to him how important this was to her.

  Cooper cleared his throat, “Tani, the only problem with our plan is that we won’t be able to go with you. We’re trying to make this look like you came to the Terrell Foundation to get funding to go on your own and we picked up the humanitarian side of things.”

  “You can’t send her over there alone. I’m going with her, fix it so I can or she’s not going.” Flynn was on his feet ready for a fight.

  “I was hoping you’d say that, but I have to warn you that the only way you’ll be able to go with her is as her husband. The Egyptian government has implemented strict control over who comes into the country. As Tani’s husband, you’ll be able to travel with her wherever she goes.” Cooper said.

  There was silence in the room when Cooper finished speaking, “You want us to get married now?” Tani finally asked, the room beginning to spin. As much as she cared about Flynn marriage was a huge step, one she hadn’t thought she’d ever take.

  “I think it’s the only choice we have. Besides allowing Flynn to travel with you, it offers another layer of protection if they know that she’s got someone right there who would be looking for her if she suddenly disappeared. I know it seems like a radical solution but I think it’s our best option. When this is all over we can petition to have the marriage annulled, the courts will approve once they understand why it was done.” Cooper said, not able to hide the little smile that crept up on his face, even he could see how strong the feelings between Tani and Flynn were and knew he was only pushing the inevitable.

  Flynn took Tani’s hand in his and squeezed it, “I don’t know Cooper, that’s a lot to ask of us. I mean marriage is a big step.” Flynn said, secretly pleased with Cooper’s suggestion but not wanting to scare Tani.

  Tani’s heart sank a little at Flynn’s words, a little part of her thinking that marrying him wouldn’t be the end of the world. “Isn’t there another way?” She finally asked, when she knew she could control the trembling in her voice.

  “Not unless Flynn can come up some good reason to join the dig.” Cooper said, leaning back in his chair. There was silence in the room again after he spoke, everyone feeling a little uncomfortable.

  “How about we give Tani and Flynn a few minutes alone.” Sabrina finally said.

  Once everyone had left the room Tani and Flynn sat in silence, Flynn was the first to break the silence, “You can’t go over there alone Tani. If this is the only way I can go with you then we have to do it. It won’t be that much different than the way things are now.”

  “But it will be different Flynn, it’s marriage.” Tani said, then sighed and sat back in her chair. “Until a few months ago I’d planned to live my life alone, now we’re talking about getting married. I’m not even sure I want you to go to Egypt, if something happens to you I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”

  “I can take care of myself Tani, and you need someone who knows the whole story with you. I know this is a lot to take, but I promise if you wa
nt the marriage annulled when we get home I won’t fight you on that.” Flynn hated to say the words but he knew that Tani felt pushed into a corner.

  Tani was confused, a part of her was relieved to hear his words and another part of her was disappointed that he’d give her up that easily. “I guess that’s okay.” She said, sadness in her voice.

  “I know this probably isn’t the way you imagined your wedding day, but we can make it nice.” Flynn said, misinterpreting her sadness.

  Tani wanted to tell him that what she wanted more than anything else was for him to be marrying her because he wanted to, but she could never tell him that, it would only complicate things. Even having those thoughts confused her, she cared about Flynn but she didn’t think she loved him, after all they’d only known each other for a short time. She’d thought that she loved David and look how that had turned out, she just couldn’t trust her feelings and once they’d done this it would change their relationship forever.

  “It’s okay, I know we have to do this.” She said, resigned to the fact that she’d have to marry Flynn, in love with him or not.

  Flynn’s heart sank, he’d thought that he and Tani had begun to build something real, but now he wasn’t so sure, she seemed sad to have to marry him and if he was honest with himself it hurt a little that she wasn’t at least a little bit excited. But considering everything she’d been through with David, he reasoned that she was probably still afraid to trust him completely, only time would heal that wound. He briefly wondered if he should tell her how he felt, that he’d been thinking about marrying her since the day she left Coldwater Canyon.

  His talk with Marissa had shown him that love wasn’t always something that came with time, occasionally it happened in the blink of an eye, and his love for Tani had come that way. Of course, at the time he hadn’t realized that what he’d been feeling was love, he’d just felt desperate to fix things with her. Now he understood that the desperation had only been a symptom of his fear that he’d lose her forever, but now he had a way to keep her with him until she loved him as much as he loved her.

  He’d joked with her about going to Vegas to get married, and they could certainly do that if she wanted, but suddenly he wanted a wedding that would make this marriage seem real to Tani. He wanted her to remember the day for the rest of her life, wanted to see her in a white gown, flowers in her hands as she came down the aisle to join him. He wanted to dance with her at their reception and then whisk her away for a night she’d never forget, but that might be difficult to arrange on such short notice.

  When they let everyone back into the study, Flynn announced their decision, then turned to Sabrina, “I’m hoping you can arrange everything.”

  Sabrina grinned, that was just what she’d been hoping she’d hear. “Leave everything to me. I’ll need a list of people you want to invite. I’ll have to get on the phone to Marissa right away.”

  Tani groaned and wished they’d talked about the ceremony before they let everyone back in. “I thought we’d just go to Vegas and get married.” She said, looking at Flynn. “You told me that’s what you’d do.”

  Flynn didn’t answer for a second, afraid that if he told her the truth it would scare her. “Well, I think for appearances we should make this look like the real thing. Invite everyone, have a big wedding.”

  Tani narrowed her eyes at him, “What difference does it make?”

  “Well, if they see that we got married in Vegas it might raise a red flag.” Cooper jumped in to save Flynn, he too could see that Flynn and Tani belonged together; otherwise he never would have suggested the wedding.

  "Well, okay but I’m not wearing a white dress.” Tani said resigned to her wedding being an even bigger charade than it had to be. “I’m tired and I think I need a few minutes alone.”

  Flynn watched Tani go, hoping that she’d come to realize that they were meant to be together. It had been a long twenty-four hours and he could understand her reluctance. Again, he cautioned himself to be patient, in time she’d come to love him the way he loved her.

  Chapter 9

  In less than 24 hours, Tani was sitting at the kitchen table with Sabrina, Leslie and Marissa who had joined forces to put on the wedding. Marissa had arrived with a truck full of wedding dresses, a rough draft of the guest list and seating arrangement making the whole thing seem that much more real to Tani who still felt a bit like she was dreaming. All the paperwork had been filed, she was now an investor in the project and would soon be Flynn’s wife allowing him entry into Egypt as well as making him an American citizen.

  The men had closed themselves up in Cooper’s study to make plans and a part of her thought she should be part of the planning, but the women had pulled her out of the room to help them plan the wedding. “Shouldn’t I know what’s going to happen when we get to Egypt?” Tani complained when they pulled her away.

  “Don’t worry, they’ll tell you everything. Right now, this is more important.” Sabrina had said leading her down the hallway to the kitchen.

  Tani doubted her words, knowing that the wedding was a sham she just couldn’t seem to get excited about the event, and when Marissa began showing her the dresses she’d brought, Tani put up a fight. “I told you I wasn’t going to wear white. This wedding isn’t even real, someday I might get married for real and I want to be able to wear white.”

  Marissa took a deep breath and shut the lid on the trunk, she’d have her way about the dress but there were other things to talk about. “Okay, we’ll wait on the dress. How about we look at the guest list and seating arrangement.” She said, handing Tani several sheets of paper.

  Tani looked at the guest list first, then back at Marissa. “There are an awful lot of people on this list. I thought this was going to be a small wedding.”

  “This is a small wedding. I’ve only included close friends and family. You can’t leave these people out.” Marissa said, turning to Sabrina for support.

  “Have you chosen your bridesmaids? We’ll have to decide on their dresses soon.” She asked, hoping to change the subject.

  “Bridesmaids?” Tani hadn’t even considered that, then she realized with a start that someone would have to give her away and her heart sank thinking of her mother and father. “I don’t know if I can go through with this it just reminds me that my parents aren’t here and why.”

  Leslie had been through so much with Tani, knew how deeply her guilt ran but she also knew that it was time for her to move on with her life. “You can and you will. Think of it this way, by marrying Flynn you’ll be able to fulfill your dad’s dream. Right now, that tomb is sitting unprotected out in the middle of Egypt, when this is all over at least some of the treasures will be safe and so will you.”

  “But this whole wedding has gotten out of control. What’s going to happen when we come home and everyone finds out that it was all just a front to get Flynn into Egypt?” Tani asked, still unsure about her decision, especially now that the wedding had suddenly gotten so big.

  “Are you changing your mind?” Sabrina asked.

  “I don’t know, all of this has happened so fast. What if Flynn gets hurt or worse? I won’t be able to live with myself, this isn’t his problem and now he’s going to marry me.” Tani was avoiding what was really bothering her and Leslie knew her well enough to know that.

  “Tani, I don’t think you’re being honest with yourself or us, I know you’re worried about someone getting hurt but I think there’s more to this than you’re telling us.” She said, hoping that Tani would be honest with them, knowing that it would do her good.

  Tani was silent for a long time, the feel of their eyes on her forcing her to look down into her lap. It was never easy for her to open up to people, but these women only had her best interests at heart and maybe they could offer some reassurance. Right now, she couldn’t afford to alienate the very people who were on her side.

  “I’m scared that Flynn’s like David.” She finally said.

  Leslie sig
hed, got up and sat down next to Tani. “Tani, it’s time you moved on with your life. The mistake you made with David was a big one, but you’re not the same person you were back then. You’ve grown since then, done an amazing job of putting what happened behind you and I know that going back to Egypt will help you even more.”

  Tani opened her mouth to speak, but Leslie held up her hand. “I’m not finished. I want you to think about what you and Flynn share, how he treats you. You have to let go of David, not every man is like him. Look at the men you know here on the ranch. Are any of them like David?”

  Tani shook her head, “No, but I’m not in danger of getting my heart broken by them.” She finally admitted.

  “Tani, nothing is ever worth it if there isn’t some risk, besides how do you know that you’ll get your heart broken, from what I can see Flynn really cares about you. He’s willing to risk his life for you, if that’s not love I don’t know what it is.” Leslie said, then smiled when she saw a hopeful look begin to blossom on Tani’s face.

  “Do you really think so?”

  “I do and I think you need to stop worrying about what happened in the past and embrace what’s happening now. You’ve got a great man who’s willing to marry you to keep you safe and I’ve yet to hear him agree to the annulment. Did it ever occur to you that maybe he’s not just marrying you to get to Egypt, that maybe he wants to marry you?”

  “If that’s true why doesn’t he just say so?” Tani demanded, “It’s the not knowing that is part of the problem.”

  “Ask him how he feels.” Sabrina interjected.

  “I can’t do that, I’m too afraid that I won’t like the answer he gives me.” Tani said, knowing she was being a coward.

  “Then it seems to me that your only choice is to marry him and see what the future holds, but one thing I can tell you for sure, if you don’t stop thinking about the past it will ruin the future.” Sabrina said, taking Tani’s hand in hers to soften her harsh words.

  Marissa stood up from the table and began to gather all the papers strew around, “Maybe you should go saddle Devil and take him for a ride. A little time on your own might help you see this all a little clearer.” She suggested.