by Liz Lovelock
“Yeah, but he also hung up on me when Lachlan was coming back in the room. I’ve royally screwed things up. Maybe we’re just not meant to be.”
“Don’t think like that,” Vivian says gently and passes me a tissue which I cover my eyes with.
The knot in my stomach only seems to get tighter and tighter with each passing moment. My feet itch to run out the door and search every hospital until I find him and demand he let me explain. My body aches for his touches that are like a familiar road I’ve walked many times. I love him and need him.
A loud knock at the door startles me awake, and I struggle to open my puffy, cried-out eyes. I’d passed out on the couch after Vivian and Dylan left hours ago. I didn’t need them to stay.
Another loud knock rattles my head.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.” I catch the time on the wall clock. 3:00 a.m. Curiosity turns to alarm. Who would be here at this hour? Stopping at the door, I call, “Who is it?”
“It’s me.” Lachlan’s familiar voice raises my heart rate, and I swear I’ve never opened a door quicker in my life. When I finally lay eyes on him, the tears start all over again. My hands come to my mouth as I stand there staring at him. He has butterfly Band-Aids over one of his eyebrows. He almost looks broken compared to the man I saw earlier in the evening. He looks fragile.
“Oh my . . . What are you doing here?” I ask breathlessly. I still can’t believe he’s actually at my place.
“Can I come in? My head is pounding, and every part of me aches.”
I step aside, and he enters. He moves gingerly, and with each step, his face screws up.
“Shouldn’t you be at home resting? How did you get here? Do you need anything?” I shut the door and walk around him, being sure to keep my distance even though I want to leap into his arms and have him hold me close.
Tears slip down my face, and I don’t care if he sees them.
Slowly, he manages to seat himself on the couch and release a breath. I sit on the opposite end of the sofa. Is he really here, or am I dreaming?
“Jase dropped me off. We only just left the hospital, and I needed to see you. Come here. I’m not breakable.”
I bite my lip and swallow the lump in my throat. I don’t move, though. “You look breakable,” my voice cracks.
He extends his hand toward me, but I just stare at him, ignoring it. “Scarlett, please.” The emotion in those two words shatters me.
“I’m so sorry, Lachlan. I messed up. I should have told you the truth earlier. There is a good reason I didn’t. Craig is blackmailing me. He has the video of our Vegas wedding. He wants money or me. Those were his options.” The words rush from me in one breath, and I hang my head. I should have just told him. It’s his problem as much as it’s mine.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lachlan asks.
I shrug. “I know your contract is in jeopardy, and I didn’t want to risk damaging this for you. I wanted to make this easy for you. I love you, Lachlan.”
“Come here.” His voice is firmer, and this time, I don’t hesitate. I want his arms around me. I need him to tell me it’s okay, that we’re okay.
I gently slip in beside him so I don’t hurt him, and his arm wraps around me as I lie against his side.
“Don’t worry, you’re not hurting me. I just want to feel you and have you close. I was lying in the hospital bed tonight, and it hit me. I love you so much, Scarlett. It seems we both can be stupid sometimes. Thank you for protecting me.” We’re silent a moment before he continues. “While I was lying there, the memory of the accident ripped through me, and I realized I love you so much. Life is too short, and I want the rest of my life to be with you.”
I tilt my head up, and he presses his lips to mine. “I love you, Lachlan.”
“I love you, too, and don’t worry about Craig. He won’t get any money from you. I’ll take care of it tomorrow. Right now, I want to go to bed and rest. Well, I’d love to do more, but I don’t think that’s a good idea at the moment.”
I can’t help but smile at his last sentence.
Wyatt stands in my living room, his face buried in his phone. “Are you serious? This man could potentially ruin your career with that video.”
Lachlan shakes his head. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take. Organize a press release, and I’ll address the issue and give them all the details they want with regards to my accident last night.”
He hasn’t really given me much information with regards to it—just said he wasn’t paying attention and, obviously, neither was the person who pulled out in front of him.
“Are you sure about this?” Wyatt asks.
“Yes. This man has done nothing but harass Scarlett, and I’m sick of it.” Lachlan turns to me. “I think you should call your father and tell him what’s going on and be sure to let him know about our past wedding. That way, he’s not going to get a shock when I blow that whistle.”
I give him an are-you-serious look. “I don’t want to be a bearer of bad news.” I laugh, but their serious faces don’t look impressed. I sigh. “Fine.” Picking up my phone, I find his name and call. He answers right away.
“Scarlett,” he greets.
“Dad, I have something I need to tell you, but please don’t get angry.”
“I can’t promise anything.” Of course, he can’t. I can already imagine his response.
I take a deep breath and release it. I have an audience on my end, watching the one-sided exchange. Pulling the phone from my ear, I put it on speaker. “Okay, well, I met up with Craig last night, and he’s blackmailing me for money.”
“What does he have on you?” Amazingly enough, he’s keeping calm.
“You remember Lachlan?”
He’s silent for a beat. “Yes.”
“About four years ago, we got married in Vegas, but we quickly had it annulled, and it was only us, his lawyer, my lawyer, and his agent that knew about it. Craig is threatening to share a video he somehow got of us getting married. Lachlan is dealing with it. I just wanted to let you know before you caught wind of it from the news or someone in your office.”
“You got married and didn’t tell your mother and me?”
“It was a clear mistake back then. I’m sorry, Dad.”
I’m met with crickets on the other end of the line. I turn to Lachlan. He gives a small nod.
“I can’t believe you kept this from me, Scarlett. I’m disappointed.”
This wasn’t the kind of reaction I was expecting. There’s no anger in his tone. Instead, there’s care and possibly hurt. “I know what I did was stupid and risky, but things worked out back then, and now we’ve reconnected and are happy.”
“Your mother would be furious with you, that she missed your first wedding.”
Is he joking? I laugh. “Yeah, she would be. She’s probably cursing me right now.”
“What can I do to help?” he asks.
“Why do you want to help me? We haven’t really seen eye to eye over the years.”
“Scarlett, you’re my daughter—my only daughter. I know Mom wouldn’t like how things have become between us. I’m trying. I know I can be a hardhead, but I’m trying. So, tell me, what can I do to help?”
I’m stunned to silence until Lachlan clears his throat, then I finally answer.
“Uh . . . nothing. We have everything under control. I just wanted to let you know so you didn’t get the surprise of your life when you saw it on the news or something.”
“Okay, thank you for letting me know.”
We end the call, and I’m left in shock. “Did I dial the wrong number?” I say to Lachlan who has a cocky grin plastered across his face.
“No. It just seems he’s woken up to himself for some reason.”
“You have one hour. Get ready. Let’s do this. Wow, this is too much drama for me.” Wyatt sighs and hands over a bag with some fresh clothes, ready for the press conference.
Lachlan laughs. “You’d be lost without my mess-ups.”
This is it. I’m finally going to be rid of Craig.
Hopefully.
I’ve never been more nervous standing in front of a bunch of media. All the times before, it’s been sports related, but this time, it’s worth so much more. Even the aches and pain shooting through me aren’t taking my mind away from the address I have to make in a moment. I reach for Scarlett’s hand and take it.
She squeezes it and whispers, “We’re in this together.”
Levi, who stands on the opposite side of her, leans in. “She’s right.”
I laugh, shaking my head. We’d had to tell him what was going on. It’s not like we could have keep it a secret, especially since we’re about to blow the whistle.
“Personally, I think you should get married again,” Levi continues.
Scarlett and I glance at each other, and it’s as though something silent passes between us. An unspoken promise.
Wyatt strides over in his business suit after talking with some reporters. “Okay, it’s time. I’ll introduce you.” He heads to the stand in front of all the flashing cameras and microphones. “Good morning, and thank you for being here. Today we’ll hear from the New York Giants’ football captain, Lachlan Rodgers, who has something he’d like to bring to your attention. Lachlan.”
He moves away, and I release Scarlett’s hand. Standing outside the stadium on a podium is nothing new to me. But staring out at the faces of at least twenty reporters before I unload a lot of private information is something new.
I stop in front of the stand of microphones.
A number of questions are being called out about the car accident. I hold my hands up, and the questions become silent. “Thanks for being here. Thanks for all your kind words of support after hearing of my accident last night. As you can see, I’m unbreakable.” I pause as laughter ripples through the crowd. “It was a simple accident. All parties involved are fine and no major injuries. That’s all you need to know about that.
“The second part of this is rather unusual, but given the circumstances surrounding it, it needs to be addressed.” I swallow and give Scarlett a quick smile over my shoulder before I continue.
She stands with her arm over Levi’s shoulder. My family.
“Anyway, as I was saying… This is in regards to Scarlett Albright and myself, as I’m sure you’re all wondering about how we met and all that. The truth is, we met years ago and did some stupid things. The main one was getting married in Vegas.”
Gasps fill the area and then a flood of questions.
I wait until the media settles before I speak again. “Now, I know this is rather crazy to hear, but there are personal reasons for it coming out like this. Yes, we reconnected recently, and we’re happy to give it a shot for real this time. Come up here, Scarlett.”
She steps in beside me, and I move around the opposite side of her where the cameras can see us. I produce the little ring I’ve had tucked in my pocket since Wyatt brought it to me this morning. I drop to one knee in front of her. The cameras flash around us.
Scarlett’s hands fly over her mouth. “Are you kidding me?” she says with a gasp.
I stare up into her beautiful face. Tears fill her eyes.
“Scarlett, will you marry me again? This is a promise for the future. We don’t have to rush off and do it now.”
She laughs, as do the others around us.
She nods, and I slip the single solitaire ring on her finger. Rising, I scoop her up into my arms and spin her around.
“I can’t believe you. I wasn’t expecting this. Do you think it’s too soon?” she says into my ear so only I can hear.
I place her on the ground and take her hands in mine. “It’s not too soon. Like I said, we don’t have to run off to Vegas and do it now. Next time, I want the big party with all our friends and family. I love you, Scarlett.” I swipe a tear off her cheek.
“I love you, too,” she returns.
My heart feels as though it could explode with how much I love this woman standing in front of me. Fate brought us back together, and I plan to keep it that way. Scarlett Albright is my everything.
A small body slams into our sides, and Levi wraps his arms around us. “I’m so happy for you both.”
We both place our arms around him. There’s pure perfection in this small circle. I couldn’t be happier, and I know what my next move is with regards to Levi. I have no doubt that Scarlett will approve and feel the same way.
I’ve finally found the love of my life. The years between us are nothing; if anything, they’ve brought us closer. We had to live a little before finding each other again. The future is bright for both of us.
10 months later…
Lachlan clasps a wrapped box in his hand and stares at the empty stairs as we both wait for Levi.
“He’s going to be so excited,” I whisper.
The thumps on the stairs cause me to look as Levi careens down them two at a time and makes his way into the kitchen.
“Happy Birthday!” we yell.
He smiles and comes to the counter. “Thank you, but shouldn’t you both be getting ready for the wedding?”
I swipe my hand at him. “Don’t worry about that. Today is your special day. Tomorrow is ours.”
“Here’s one of your presents.” Lachlan slides the pretty little white box with a blue bow stuck to the top across the table.
He beams. “Thank you both, for everything.”
“Open it,” I push.
His hands lift the lid and rifle through the colored paper. He pulls out a white frame and begins to read what’s in it. Tears fill the now fifteen-year-old’s eyes, and after a moment, he glances up at us. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, of course,” I say.
“You want to adopt me?” He chokes on his words as emotions take over. He covers his face with a hand and sobs. Never in the last twelve months that I’ve cared for him have I seen him like this.
I come around to him and wrap him in my arms. This kid is going to be taller than me in no time. “We care for and love you so much. We want you to permanently be a part of our family.”
“Scarlett is right. When I first took you in, I never thought we would be standing here, months later, handing this to you. I thought for sure they wouldn’t let me adopt you, but I was wrong, thankfully. You’re a smart kid with a bright future, and we want to walk every step of the way beside you. We love you. Happy Birthday.”
Levi gives us each a hug then stands there staring at the piece of paper. “I don’t care what any of the other presents are. Nothing could ever beat this.”
“Well, maybe we should return the other gifts we got,” Lachlan jokes.
“That’s okay. I now have the family I want, and nothing could beat that.”
Now it’s my turn to sob like a baby.
“Today’s the big day.” Dylan dances around, topping off wine glasses.
“I’m so nervous,” I say as I adjust the long, lace sleeves of my wedding dress. I run my hands over the tulle skirt, brushing it down to make sure it’s smooth. My hands tremble with each movement.
“Don’t be. You’ve hit the motherload. Here we are, still ladies in waiting…and waiting,” Vivian says.
Laughter fills the room when there’s a knock at the door.
“Scarlett?” my dad calls.
“Let him in,” I say.
Dad stands there, glancing around the room. Even though I’ve seen him in suits plenty of times, today he looks different. Smart, sophisticated, and actually relaxed.
Things with Dad have been amazing. No more Mr. Pushy and Annoying. Since everything happened with Craig, he realized there’s more to life than business. He let life pass him by, and he admitted to missing Theo and I growing up.
Craig, of course, ended up in jail for embezzlement. He became quite good at accessing business accounts and taking money he needed, hence the reason he never got another job. When he’d had access to my accounts, he discovered the account with M
om’s money. Thankfully, he’s where he belongs.
“I won’t be much longer, Dad. Is everything in place out there?”
Dad gives me a look that asks Are you kidding? “Scarlett, it’s Vegas; they’re always ready. I’m just glad I’m here this time.”
Lachlan and I wanted to go back to the place where everything began. It only felt right.
“Okay. Let’s get going, girls.”
Dylan and Vivian wear navy-blue, knee-length cocktails dresses. They look amazing. We pick up our bouquets filled with lilies and head out the door.
Ten minutes later, I’m walking down the small aisle. When our eyes meet, tears wet my lashes. Lachlan is the man of my dreams. Dressed in a charcoal-black suit, he’s sexy as hell.
Jase and Levi stand alongside him, his shining blue eyes lighting up as I head in his direction. The love I feel for this man is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. He steals my breath with every kiss and causes butterflies with every touch. He makes me so happy, and no matter what, I always feel safe with him. I can’t wait to become his wife, again. I’ve waited for this moment for what seems like forever.
When I glance to the left, I catch his father sitting with the biggest smile on his face. Things between him and Lachlan have been so much better. His dad shows him so much more respect.
When I get to the end of the aisle, Lachlan takes my hand, and my father releases me, but not before saying, “Take care of my daughter.”
“I will, sir.” Lachlan gives him a small nod.
Dad goes and takes a seat beside Theo and puts his arm around him. Dad has really become a different man. I’ve even noticed he’s taken a liking to Levi. He takes him on trips, like to Hawaii just for a vacation, and they have a riot of a time together. I love their relationship.
“You look stunning. I want to kiss you,” Lachlan says, his voice low and rumbly. It makes my stomach flip.
