WindSwept Narrows: #20 Fleur & Liliana

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

She’d made up her mind.

  Hailey deserved a stress free beginning. She wheeled the single suitcase behind her, out the door held open for her by the doorman. She didn’t know why she suddenly glanced to the side, her breath catching at the same time her eyes landed on the tall, pale haired man striding purposefully, intently and angrily toward her.

  He knew.

  She didn’t know how, but he knew!

  She moved quickly to the waiting cab, breathing too fast as she shoved the suitcase into the back seat and then herself and the baby. Barely three weeks old, born the last week of October, and here she was making a swift escape. She pulled the door closed quickly, her voice hard and panicked.

  “Drive, please! Go! Now!” Liliana felt her breath catch in her throat at the same time they sped past the man halting on the curb, staring at the departing cab.

  She didn’t look over her shoulder again.

  She didn’t want to know, didn’t want to see.

  Never wanted to feel the pain inside her again.

  She’d forget. To survive for her daughter, she had to.

  Oliver Kensington Jr. wanted to reach out and bring a strong, clenched fist down hard on something pliable. No. Less than pliable. Something that he could dent and something that would hurt.

  Because he knew he deserved each and every ounce of the pain it would cause. He glared after the departing vehicle and continued on to his office, his phone out and commands being issued. He didn’t notice the cold, icy November winds whipping around his heavy overcoat. He’d have answers.

  But it was now noon and he had nothing. Empty air. His wife and daughter, vanished. He sat behind the large, fancy desk in his office and glared into the dismal grey of November outside the window of the high-rise complex.

  A firm, slightly squared jaw tensed, the pulse at the side of his throat thumped in a mixture of anger and frustration. He had threads to pull and an instinct inside him said he had waited too long to make the connections.

  Chapter Ten

  A little over six months later at the WindSwept Narrows.

  Middle of May, Jamaica week

  Liliana Charles was tall and slender and wore a brimless white cap over the short cropped dark brown hair. She closed one eye and stepped back, sugary sweet gold icing on one cheek and the fluted pliable pouch in her hands. It had been wielded expertly and the results were beautiful.

  “Perfect,” she declared with a satisfied nod. She looked up and caught the eyes of a young man arranging several platters of food on the table. The party would begin to arrive soon, she’d managed to fix the slight muss quickly. “All done…no problem. Get it set up and let’s get back to the kitchen.”

  End of the day, she mused, shrugging out of the once white tunic and dropping it into the laundry bin in the locker room. She changed quickly, T-shirt and jeans, a pair of simple sneakers and her pack on her shoulders as she left the kitchens and headed down into the employee underground. The smile on her face was soft and greeted the young woman at the entrance to the day care.

  “How was my angel today?” She asked, sliding her badge through the reader and stepping into the large center.

  “Angelic,” Myra responded. “She’s in C room finishing her dinner.”

  “Thanks,” Liliana walked down the wide hall to the end room, one hand on the door and about to greet one of the girls that worked there when everything inside her crashed to the floor.

  It wasn’t one of the girls rocking and feeding Hailey. Her hand slid off the flat panel of the door and her back fell against the wall, her head shaking in disbelief. She felt everything inside her freeze and hurt. A deep, aching hurt that she thought she had banished.

  “Oliver!” His name was pulled from her in a low whispered filled with disbelief.

  “Good evening, Liliana,” Oliver Kensington looked up from the delicate child lying in his arms, the bottle he held almost empty and one set of tiny fingers curled around one of his fingers as he held the bottle for her. Deep blue eyes caressed from floor to the dark, short hair with a slight frown. “You’ve lost weight. I thought you were breast feeding?”

  “I…I was…I did…six months…I couldn’t…” Liliana knew she was breathing too quickly and closed her mouth, forcing herself to pull air into her nose and slow down. “Why are you here?”

  “Can’t a husband want to see his wife and child?” He asked languidly. He had too much anger bottled inside him and while it wasn’t aimed at her, he knew she’d feel it seething its way free. He’d directed it. Aimed it. Shot it at the people responsible for the last eight months until he had a handful of questions remaining unanswered.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered, watching the pale lashes of Hailey drift peacefully to sleep. “They shouldn’t have allowed you…”

  “I proved identity, Liliana,” he lifted the ignored bottle from the baby, set it aside and put her gently over his shoulder, his large hand patting softly. “She’s delicate, beautiful…like her mother but with my coloring.”

  Liliana felt her chest hurt, her head shaking. “You…” She wanted to snatch Hailey away from him.

  “She’s my daughter, isn’t she, Liliana?” He asked softly, the answer had always been in her eyes but he’d been blinded and stupid to the truth. His loyalties had been faulty, skewed. Manipulated. And he’d wager he was the last man alive to be able to admit that was even possible. Yet he’d let it happen. “You might find this amusing to know I’ve taken an eight week child care class before I came out here to join you.”

  “Join me?” The words shook inside the soft whisper.

  Liliana felt her knees shaking and let her body slide down to the floor, the wall bracing her as she tried to force air into her lungs and thoughts into her head. Maybe it was a dream, she thought, squeezing her eyes tightly closed. Oliver was not here, she told herself vehemently.

  “It wasn’t easy since I was missing a child, but…I found the people in the class willing to share,” his deep voice was soft and low in the room, his gaze on the small pouting mouth and cherub cheeks resting on his shoulder.

  “Why, Oliver?” Liliana pushed against the floor, surging to her feet. She would not let him do this to her. He didn’t want her. He never believed her. She never had his trust or anything else that was important to her. “We have to go home. She needs her bath and I have things to do,” she swallowed hard and reached for Hailey, listening to the soft breathing and smiling into the pale lashes that lifted and the little smile that formed when she recognized her. “Hi, there, missy…” her mouth captured the little palm that raised toward her with a kiss to the soft center.

  “Why?”

  “If you’ve brought papers for me to sign, you could have just mailed them. I’ll sign anything you want,” she said without looking at him, lifting the bag that traveled with Hailey and making sure things were inside before going to the door. He was out of place, she thought. Sitting in the rocker in his expensive suit with a burp towel on one shoulder.

  “And you’ll willingly sign anything I ask of you,” he stood up slowly, dropping the little towel into the bin near the crib. Two steps had him at the door, their hands meeting on the large stainless steel handle.

  Liliana pulled her hand back as if it were on fire, dark eyes immediately on his face. It was a face she’d dreamt of since first meeting him. It was a face that had wakened her in the middle of the night and a face she thought about too often. Bright blue eyes that matched the ones on the small face in her arms.

  “Yes,” she answered, shifting uncomfortably beneath his gaze.

  “Because you don’t want anything from me,” he said quietly, pulling the door open and following behind her.

  “Good night, Myra,” Liliana felt the strain in her voice and hoped it remained inside, in her imagination and not out to people who knew her. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Bye, Lili,” Myra looked up at the little palm that waved crookedly.

  “Let me have the pack, Lilia
na,” Oliver reached for the pack she struggled to keep on her shoulder. A frown deepened when she jerked her shoulder to the side, refusing his help.

  “I can manage, thank you. We’re fine,” she said quickly, stepping onto the moving walkway and leaning one hip against the rail. She didn’t look to see if he followed, but she knew he was there. He was large and imposing and she could smell him. After all these months, she could still smell the soap or cologne or after shave he wore. Or maybe it was her memory playing tricks on her. His scent and touch and voice had never left her memory and haunted her dreams at night.

  “Are you, Liliana? Fine, I mean,” Oliver sighed and stood on the moving walkway watching her as they moved beneath the massive resort. He knew it wasn’t going to be an easy thing to win her back. And he also knew he earned each and every hard task she threw into his path.

  “Please go back to New York,” she whispered plaintively, fighting with the tears welling behind her lashes. The signs blurred but she knew where she was going and only wished the mover was a little faster.

  “Nothing to go back to, Liliana. I sold everything that was mine and relocated my office here,” Oliver moved swiftly, his hands up and steadying her when she stepped from the mover and spun to face him. Dark, wide eyes brimming with tears suddenly even wider as she gaped at him. “Yep. It’s true.”

  He brought one hand up, brushing against her cheek and the tear that broke free. “If you start crying, I’m doomed.”

  “Your family…” Her head shook numbly. A cold shiver ran through her when something hard and angry filled his expression.

  “Explaining your disappearance to our friends was a little difficult. Only to those who were genuine friends of ours, of course,” he said, deliberately working to control his anger by ignoring the single thing that would bring his blood boiling. She would see it aimed at her and that was the last thing he wanted. “But it became clear to them when I began liquidating things. This is an interesting premise you’ve led me to, Liliana. I like it. A great deal.”

  “I…no…no, I did not lead you here, Oliver,” she whispered hoarsely, feeling her breathing increasing at the same time her hands tightened slightly on Hailey. Her head shook, her brain refusing to accept the words he was saying. “I have to go home.”

  “Liliana…”

  “No. I won’t be blamed for this,” she said shakily, striding away from him and following the unconscious path to a place she’d known peace without recriminations. Without accusations and mistrust.

  “Damn it, Lili,” Oliver took several long steps forward and moved in front of her, cursing again when he saw the tears brimming over the rims of her dark eyes. “Let me help,” he said quietly, taking the bag from her shoulder at the same time his other hand went to her waist, walking with her into the early evening sun. He hadn’t been in this portion of the resort, the stairwell opening into the employee apartment cluster that backed the southern portion of the resort. His palm rested gently at the rise of her hip as she walked among the buildings. A crooked grin teased at his lips when the baby watching him offered up a little smile, watching him curiously.

  His hand left her waist, fingers trailing along the cheek and brought a gurgling little laugh from his daughter.

  His. His insides burned and churned with the accusations he’d hurled at Liliana because of others in their lives. He felt the back of his throat burning at the thought of how it had hurt her to hear the words from him. He could see the dark eyes that blinked at him in disbelief and shock. But he’d believed others over her. He had chosen to doubt the woman he loved and felt every ounce the fool that he was.

  Liliana shoved her thumb against the pad and used her hip to push the door wide. She intended to turn and take the pack from him. She intended to close the door in his face and lean against it until she could breathe without feeling it hurt.

  But it was obvious he had intentions of his own. His footsteps echoed in the small apartment.

  “You’ve set up a nice place, Lili,” he said softly, watching her go through what he guessed had become routine for her and Hailey. He moved silently into the apartment, standing over the blanketed, net sided pen, toys dangling, stuffed animals scattered and large gripping things for her to chase around.

  The corner of his mouth lifted as she rolled to her side and then onto her stomach. Tiny fisted hands pushing and knees bending as she rocked and bumped back and forth, determined and gurgling constantly.

  “Why are you here?” Liliana spun away from the things she dropped into the chair and planted her feet firmly.

  “She’s so different than when you left,” he said quietly, unaware of the grin on his face when she looked up at him from so far below when she heard his voice. “She doesn’t remember me. I guess they don’t remember much at that size.”

  “Listen to me!” Her voice was low and growling. Liliana stepped forward and shoved her palm against his chest, catching him by surprise and sending him back a pace. She decided it felt good and shoved at him again. She didn’t recognize or even take notice of the surprise on his face when she did it a third time.

  “Liliana,” Oliver said her name softly when she struck out at him a fourth time, her too slender form shaking when he pulled her against him. One hand went to the back of her head, stroking quietly while she let the tears loose. She’d be angry when she stopped, he knew that from experience.

  Angry at him.

  Angry at herself for letting down her guard. She always wanted to be tough. At least in front of him and the world.

  He sighed thickly and pulled her close, her hands crushed between them and held in tight, small fists.

  He pulled a white piece of cloth from his pocket and put it against her cheek. Her hands curled around it at the same time a long, ragged sigh broke from her lips. She pushed against his chest, grateful when his arms opened and she turned away from him, sniffling and staring into the sunlight that sparkled outside the patio doors far in the distance.

  “I can’t do this again,” she whispered after a long painful silence. “I can’t.”

  “Liliana, if you let me…”

  “No! No, I can’t! I can’t hurt for you again. Hailey needs me,” she didn’t turn. Didn’t look at anything but the baby trying to reach the colorful toys scattered about her on the cushiony blankets of her playpen. “Please go, Oliver. Please.”

  Dark lashes closed tightly when the door opened and closed behind her. Only then did she let the rest of the tears fall free. Somehow she managed to get Hailey into the bathtub with her, both of them splashing and laughing. And the tears continued as she held the baby for her night time bottle, drowsy and warm, she settled her into her crib and let herself sink to the floor in a shattered mess, hugging the blanket to her as sobs wracked her body through the night.

  Chapter Eleven

  Oliver knew it wasn’t going to be easy. The finely made suit jacket was tossed to the chair in the room he had taken at the resort. He’d pulled the tie free and opened the top couple buttons, his hands tightly clenched around the wrought iron railing on the balcony of his room. He stood staring into the setting colors of a Pacific Northwest sunset and considered the changes he’d made to his life.

  Thirty-seven years old.

  He’d listened to the murmurs of a breakdown.

  Mutterings of a midlife crisis.

  But when he thought about the people in his life the only honest times he could see now were when he had been part of the military and when he’d met Liliana Charles. A pastry chef who worked for a catering company his mother used for social events. There were words he hadn’t heard until she left. But he knew without a doubt people had made sure Liliana had heard them. Repeatedly.

  A Kensington involved with a pastry chef? Unthinkable. Degrading.

  He hadn’t been a Kensington with the military. He’d been a top notch strategist. It hadn’t mattered to them what his name had been. It hadn’t mattered to Liliana, either. But somehow behind his back they ha
d eaten away at her confidence while tearing away his trust for her at the same time. What annoyed him most was that he had been so busy that he hadn’t seen it until it was too late. There was nothing she could call him right now that he hadn’t called himself when he began digging.

  Oliver Kensington left the resort early the next morning, striding confidently into the new office he was setting up along the waterway boulevard next to the Emporium. They also had a first rate florist shop inside the Emporium that opened early.

  Probably for husbands with a lot of kissing up to accomplish. He made his selection, added his note to the small card and slid it into the envelope. Revamping businesses and strategy were his specialty. There his confidence hadn’t wavered.

  The massive collection of star lilies and colorful sunflowers was carried into the office that morning and set on the desk in front of her.

  “I…thank you…oh, god…” Liliana lifted the card from the mass of flowers as if it would detonate any minute. She didn’t have to open it to know who they were from. She could have handled it better if he had bullied his way back into her life. The arrogance and confidence would have been easy to combat.

  Maybe.

  That man she knew. That man she had met and fell in love with two years ago. This man she didn’t know at all.

  “What a gorgeous collection!” Mia Santori inhaled deeply and smiled until she saw the look on her friend’s face. “Lili? What is wrong? You are so pale!”

  “Nothing. Fine. I’m fine,” she whispered, tucking the unopened little envelope into the pocket of her tunic and slipping a brimless cap over her head. “They are beautiful,” she agreed softly, fingertips barely touching one of the large pink and white flowers.

  “Is it Oliver, Lili?” Mia walked with her to the pastry section of the large kitchen, accepting the quiet nod before they separated for their various tasks.