Chapter 28

RIVER

He felt the doctors working on him, but River couldn’t seem to catch his breath enough to talk. As they got an IV into his hand, they shot some pain medication into him, and that was the first moment that River realized he was going to be alright.

They took x-rays and set his broken nose. River let them do everything they needed to, and he didn’t protest, even when their tests caused him a lot of pain. River was happy that they had made it to the hospital, but he was much happier that they were now giving him pain medications.

“Can you tell me what happened?” the doctor asked River.

He could tell the doctor what happened, but River wasn’t about to get the real live version of the events down on paper. It was already going to be a media circus once the press found out that both River and the governor were taken by ambulance to the hospital. There just wasn’t the ability to hide those things like there used to be.

“I don’t remember,” River lied to the doctor. “Is the governor alright?”

The doctor didn’t answer River and instead went back to looking at his tests and taking care of him. After a few minutes, the doctor gave the nurses some orders and then made his way to the room across the hall.

“Is the governor alright?” River asked one of the nurses.

“He’s not doing too well. He lost a lot of blood.”

“We were talking to each other through most of the night,” River said to the nurse. “He lost consciousness a little before sunup.”

The nurse nodded at River’s willingness to tell her part of the story. Then she walked across the hall to relay the information to the team that was working on the governor.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Anders?” another nurse asked him as she checked his vital signs.

“I’m good. Can you see if my girlfriend is anywhere? I’d really like to see her.”

“Sure, what’s her name?”

River gave the nurse Mariah’s name and a brief description of her. As the pain medication started to kick in, he was feeling much better. Still not well enough to get up and move or anything like that, but River felt like he needed to talk to Mariah right away.

“River!” Mariah screamed as she ran to him from the doorway of the hospital room.

Right before she was about to hug him, a nurse stuck her hand out and stopped Mariah from moving forward.

“He’s got several broken ribs. Hugging won’t feel good right now,” the nurse said.

“I’m alright. Everything is great,” River said as he smiled at Mariah.

“Um, I’m not sure you understand what is going on here. There are dozens of press people out in the lobby. They heard on the scanner who was involved. The press is going crazy, River. Everything is not great.”

River couldn’t help smiling at how serious Mariah was taking the press. He wasn’t worried, though.

“We talked. The governor and I talked. We have worked things out,” River said as he tried to explain what was going on.

Mariah started to laugh as she turned away from River and walked toward the room where they were working on the governor. The shades were pulled, and there were at least a dozen people in the room with him.

As Mariah stood in the doorway, she saw Kimberly being escorted to the room from the lobby. Mariah didn’t really know what to say. With everything that had gone on between all of them, Mariah had nothing else left to say to Kimberly.

“This news story is going to destroy his bid for the presidency. If he makes it through this, it’s going to be an uphill battle for him,” Mariah said as she closed their door and went back to concentrating on River.

“I need to see him. I have to ask him something,” River said as he started to try and stand up in his bed.

There were two nurses quickly right by River’s side as he started to stand up. He was much weaker than she had ever seen him. River wanted to get up and walk, but the nurses quickly convinced him to just sit and rest before he started to try and walk anywhere in the hospital.

“There’s no way you’re going anywhere, Mr. Anders; please sit back down,” one of the older nurses said.

The authority in her voice had River quickly lying back in his bed. Mariah smiled at how easily he followed the woman’s directions. If only he would follow her directions like that when she had told him what was best for his company.

“Why do you need to talk to the governor?” Mariah asked.

“I told you. We talked; we worked things out.”

Mariah had no idea what River was talking about. What did he talk to the governor about, and why on earth did both he and the governor end up near death on the floor of River’s house.

The doctor that had worked on River before came back into his room again.

“Mr. Emerald would like to talk to you. He is doing better, and it appears that he will make it through this. I don’t think I can get the two of you into the same room tonight. But by tomorrow, I will.”

River was fine with that. He just needed to talk with the governor before there was any press conference. It was essential that River and the governor decide on what they wanted to say to the press. Because they both had some pretty important things to say. Especially after spending the whole night together talking about Jackson and their future.

The rest of the night went by rather fast as River drifted in and out of sleep. The pain medication worked really well for most of the night, and he had only woken up because he needed to use the restroom or take his next dose of pills.

As the night move forward, River felt himself feeling much better, and he expected he would get released from the hospital in the morning. He was certainly still going to have a lot of recovery to deal with, but River was feeling much better.

Around six o’clock in the morning, one of River’s regular nurses came to his room to take his vital signs. Mariah was asleep on the chair in the corner, and River was done sleeping for the moment.

“I need to go see the governor, Millard Emerald, River said as sweetly as he could muster.”

“Sir, the governor has guards outside his room. He has protection.”

“Why?”

“Because he said a robber attacked him.”

River was shocked by what he heard. Had the governor really just told a lie about his past? The funny thing was that all politicians lied; it was just a matter of which lies you liked the most.

“You’re not going to see him alone,” Mariah said through her sleepy eyes.

River didn’t know just how long Mariah had been awake, but it was long enough that he was worried about what she had heard while he was talking to the nurse. River knew that Mariah was going to be alright with the new plan, but he also knew that she liked to keep things private and not share them with other people. It was entirely possible that Mariah could keep a secret for her entire life. She certainly had kept River’s secret for a really long time.

“I’m not going to attack him. Millard and I bonded during our time in the car. I just need to talk to him about something private.”

Mariah seemed really skeptical of whatever it was that River had planned, but she got up and started to help the nurse move River into a wheelchair. River loved that she was going to come with him, he couldn’t wait for her to see the surprise that he had worked up.

“You promise not to attack him?” Mariah asked.

“Yes, I promise.”

They wheeled River down to the room that had the guards standing in front of it. At first, the guard wouldn’t even consider telling Kimberly that they were outside waiting, but River insisted that they wake the governor up and ask him if he could come in and visit.

Sure enough, after the guard disappeared into the governor’s room, he came out and opened the door wide so River could get pushed into it.

“River,” the governor said as he tried to smile.

The governor’s face had a few lacerations that looked like they had been stitched back together. But instead of black stitches and big bandages, the governor had clear stitches and clear bandages. You could certainly tell that he had been injured, but not nearly as horrific looking as traditional stitches would be.

“When do you want to do it?” River asked the governor.

“I say we do it this morning.”

Mariah and Kimberly looked back and forth between the two men and then between each other. Neither of them seemed to understand what was going on at all. Mariah especially seemed to want to know more answers before she was going to put her guard down.

“What’s going on here,” Mariah asked. “What are you doing this morning?”

“A press conference with me, River and Kimberly,” the governor said.

Mariah stood stunned for at least twenty seconds before she managed to think of the comeback she was looking for.

“This is a bad idea,’ Mariah said firmly. “It’s not going to go well, and what does your press conference have to do with the governor. Why does he need to be involved in your press conference?

Mariah didn’t seem to understand exactly what was going on and why they were going to have a press conference. But River didn’t have the energy to keep trying to explain things to her. He wanted to save his little amount of energy for while they were actually at the podium talking.

“Kimberly, what do you think?” the governor asked.

Kimberly looked surprised that he had asked her for an opinion on the matter. River thought that it was probably something new in their household, communicating and asking questions.

“I think we need to talk about it.”

Kimberly and the governor requested some privacy while they discussed the press conference that the governor and River had agreed to. Kimberly didn’t know what had changed between the two men, and she didn’t really care. Since Jackson had been born, Kimberly had always tried to do her best by him. Whatever the press conference was for, it was going to be exciting for Kimberly.

When the two couples got back together a few hours later, the governor had some flash cards for each member to hold onto and try to remember. He appeared to have planned out the words that each person would say; the cards were just reminders, but Mariah and Kimberly quickly went to work trying to memorize the note cars.

The press conference didn’t start until noon when both River and the governor were wheeled into the small courtroom. Neither of them looked good at all, and Mariah found herself giggling a little at the idea they were going to go up in front of the public and give a speech. Both of the men had brutal bruising on their faces, and it was clear that they were not going to talk about those bruises on national television.

“We are here today to clear up all the gossip that is going around.”

“Governor, is it true. Are the rumors true?” one reporter blurted out.

River wasn’t exactly sure what it was that he had expected when he made the press conference showing. All he knew was he wanted everyone to understand what was really going on.

“I’ll address the rumors,” River said kindly. “No, Mariah is not my girlfriend.”

The audience laughed as they waited for the rest of the punch life. River knew that there were many other questions on everyone’s mind.

“Mr. Anders, is it true that you and the governor were in a brawl at your house?”

River knew that questions were going to come up sooner or later. He and the governor had discussed exactly what they were going to say.

“I can answer that,” the governor said. “We were not in a brawl.”

River was impressed at how easily the governor handled the press. It must have been crazy having people ask him questions all of the time and then not listening to his original answer.

“We aren’t going to be making a long statement,” River said as he tried to get the crowd under control. “Kimberly and I had a relationship many years ago. That relationship resulted in our beautiful son.”

Mariah wasn’t sure what was going on.

“I made a mistake with what I said in the original newspaper article. I was angry and didn’t really know how to show that, or how to responded to that columnist’s questions. I was caught off guard and made a false statement about what had happened between Mr. Anders and my wife,” the governor said. “Kimberly would like to speak for a moment now.”

“I am thrilled to take on a new role in my life. I am excited for Jackson, who now has two full-time fathers and one full-time mother. The three of us are committed to working together and being a good example for our child,” Kimberly said and then quickly walked back to her spot on the podium area.

“Are you saying that the three of you are going to live together?” A reporter asked.

“We are going to do whatever is necessary to raise a strong and intelligent man who doesn’t need help with anything in his life but can still accept help when he needs it. We are more committed than ever to bring our family together and out of this darkness.”

The press conference went on for a short while and all the photographers couldn’t get enough of the pictures of all four of them together.

“So it’s over?” Mariah asked.

“I think it is,” River asked. “We just turn around and go home like nothing ever happened in the first place.”

“Hey, we need to get to Jackson’s technology program,” Kimberly yelled out toward the two men as they all left the stage. “He is going to freak out when he sees the two of you together.”

“I can’t wait to tell him he gets to have us both as his dads,” River said.

As the governor and Kimberly prepared to go to their neighbors’ house to pick up Jackson’s friend, they also couldn’t stop thinking that their time together had come to an end. River leaned over and grabbed Mariah as he kissed her and said good night.

Epilogue

“We will need to hold off on the rollout in Europe. We still don’t have full control over the Fresh Food Delivery program here. We’re scaling for at least the next year. I don’t want to roll out in Europe and fail,” River said to his new assistant as he sat down at his desk.

“So do you want me to type up the press release saying it’s delayed a year?”

“No, be more mysterious than that, but make sure it’s clear our business is doing so good right now we have to concentrate on meeting current demands.”

“I’ll get a rough draft together for you and let you read it over. You only have three hours before you and Mariah need to be at the airport. Don’t get yourself too engrossed in work this morning,” Machala said as she stood in the doorway to his office.

“I know, I know. I went round and round with her this morning about even coming into work today. I finally agreed to have everything packed before coming in and that seemed to make her happy.”

“She always seems happy. I’ve never met a woman who smiles as much as she does. You must be doing something right.”

“Hopefully,” River added.

Mariah wasn’t the only one that was happy, the last year had been pretty damn incredible for River also. Things with Mariah just clicked like they had never clicked with any other woman in his past. They didn’t fight, they laughed all the time and the sex was incredible. If there was one thing River would complain about it was that Mariah spent so much time at work, but he suspected she would have the same complaint about him.

He spent a couple hours sending emails off and finishing up the last few items he needed to get done before his trip. One of the things River was doing better than he had in the past was stepping away from work when he wasn’t in the office. It really was the only way he and Mariah could work so much and still have a relationship. When they were at home, there wasn’t work going on and that was all there was to it.

“You’re lucky I love you,” Mariah teased as she unloaded two big suitcases from the car after parking at the private jet lot of Portland International Airport.

“Let me get those,” River said as he hustled over to her car.

Mariah flung her arms around his neck and showered him with kisses. She kissed his lips, his cheek, his ear, and his neck as she held on tight to him.

“I’m so excited. Can you believe this is happening?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty damn cool.”

“You’re basically like the brother to the President of the United States now,” Mariah laughed.

“The President is my son’s stepfather. I’m not his brother.”

“Oh, whatever, you two are just as close as brothers. You know what I mean.”

“I do know,” River said as they made their way into the boarding area and prepared to board their private jet to Washington D.C.

“I’m actually excited to see Kimberly. Is that weird for you?”

The truth was that it had been weird in the beginning when Kimberly and Mariah first started to talk to each other. But over the previous year, River realized he didn’t have anything to worry about. The two women were co-mothering Jackson, just like he and Emerald were co-fathering him. It made sense for them to be friends.

Sure, Mariah and River weren’t married, but they were pretty damn close. They lived together, spent all their spare time together. And whenever Jackson came to spend time with them Mariah was a big part of his care.

“It’s not weird that you two get along, I think it’s great.”

When they finally boarded the plane and got into the air, Mariah couldn’t stop yawning. She had spent the last several months with her business booming. Celebrities from around the world wanted to use her public relations company. Mariah said it was the busiest three months her father had ever had.

“I’m so tired,” she yawned as she leaned over and tucked herself next to River.

Normally he would have taken advantage of the time with her and made love to her. But he was just as tired as Mariah was. The four-hour flight would be the perfect opportunity for them to get some rest before the swearing in ceremony of Millard Emerald, the next President of the United States.

It was a little surprising that the people of America had accepted their blended family so willingly. Millard, Kimberly, Mariah, Jackson, and River weren’t ready for how welcoming everyone had been. But it turned out that America really liked an underdog story and they loved watching how the two pairs co-parented Jackson while on the campaign trail.

When River flew to Iowa to pick up Jackson for a week long summer trip, the media went ballistic. The media loved Millard and by the time November rolled around he won by a landslide. America wanted a President who put family values first and despite his wife’s infidelity early in their marriage; Emerald and Kimberly worked things out and were a very happily married couple. That was inspiring to American’s.

“Let’s go to sleep then darling,” River said as he pulled Mariah closer.

“Do you think it’s weird that Jackson kept Millard’s last name?” Mariah asked out of nowhere. “Do you wish he had your last name?”

“I’ve thought about it and there was a time when it made me a little mad, but we are living in the twenty-first century and I don’t think it matters. He has the same last name as his mother and that’s good enough. He can’t have her last name and mine.”

“Yeah, those hyphenated last names are the worst. I would never do that. Actually, I don’t think I’d even change my last name if I got married.”

“Really?” River asked.

The conversation had certainly perked his interest. Although it didn’t bother him that his son kept the same last name as Kimberly; there was something that bothered him about Mariah not wanting to take his last name.

“Yeah, does that make you made? It’s just that my whole public relations company is based off of my family last name, it seems silly to change that. We have great branding and name recognition.”

“So just for business sake, you wouldn’t change your name?”

“Yep.”

“You are a savvy business woman,” River smiled and kissed her gently. “I’m sure I could learn to deal with it.”

It was true; he would learn to deal with her independence about the last name as long as he was married to her. River intended to marry Mariah and that was something he didn’t have a doubt about at all. He could only hope that her independent lifestyle didn’t mean that she never wanted to have a man by her side supporting her.

“I’m going to sleep now, I’ve got to get some rest before all those cameras start taking pictures at the event.”

“It’s funny how we are always a topic of conversation when it comes to the Emerald family. Maybe someday we will be our own topic of conversation with our own family.”

River had hoped to get some sort of response from Mariah about the possibility of starting a family someday, but like usual, she didn’t respond. Mariah wasn’t one of those girls that went around telling everyone how she couldn’t wait to get married and have a family. Sure, they had been dating for a year, and River wanted to propose, but he had no idea if she would even accept. He thought she would, but there was a nagging feeling that Mariah might actually turn him down. That was scary as hell.

They both fell asleep and got a couple hours of sleep in before landing in Washington D.C. Once on the ground they were quickly swept away by a hired car and brought to their hotel where Mariah started to do her hair and makeup for the evening.

River sat down and made an important phone call.

“Hey buddy, are you excited about tonight?”

“Dad, there are so many people. This is going to be insane!” Jackson yelled into the phone. “I can’t wait for you to see it.”

“Me too buddy, but I’m more excited about seeing you.”

“I’m happy you and Mariah are coming.”

“Okay, well we have to get ready, but we will be there soon.”

“See ya Dad.”

River loved the relationship he and Jackson had developed over the last year. Being a father wasn’t something he thought he was going to be able to handle very well; especially considering the situation that was going on with Jackson’s mother. But life was surprising River and everything seemed to be turning out pretty damn amazing.

Two hours passed before Mariah emerged from the bathroom dressed and ready to go. It had only taken River about ten minutes to slip on his tuxedo and quickly shave. When they started toward the front of the hotel, River suddenly realized that he hadn’t even complimented Mariah.

“Wait,” he said as they stood in the lobby. “I’m horrible. Forgive me, please. You look stunning. I mean it. Drop dead gorgeous. I’m pretty damn lucky to be going out with you tonight. And that’s a damn fine dress you have on.”

Mariah smiled at River’s admission of guilt. She hadn’t cared all that much when they rushed out of the hotel room, but as they stood in the lobby she felt much better about the evening knowing that River was all hers. He loved her, she knew that, and she didn’t need him to compliment her clothing, but it sure felt nice to hear.

“Thanks, darling,” she whispered as she held onto his arm. “I think there are some photographers outside, we better pretend to be happy,” she joked.

“Oh, I’m happy. I’m happier than I ever remember being.”

Mariah was right. As they approached the front of the hotel it was now swarmed with paparazzi waiting to catch all the celebrities who would be heading to the White House for the festivities that evening.

“River! River!” The paparazzi screamed. “Is it true that you and the President share the bed with his wife?” One of the screamed louder than the rest.

The preposterous question was just one of many that they yelled toward the couple in the hopes of getting some sort of reaction out of them. Paparazzi weren’t like the normal media who wanted the story and the details; paparazzi just wanted a picture that would sell in their made up tabloid stories.

“They are getting worse,” Mariah said when they finally got into the limo and the noise died down a bit.

“I know. But it will die down soon. Once he takes office there won’t be nearly as much excitement.”

“Hopefully.”

Mariah knew that the reason her company was thriving was because of all the publicity around River and the Emerald family, but she still didn’t like being the center of attention. She was much more comfortable helping others deal with their own notoriety than she was with dealing with her own.

The security around the White House was intense, but after about sixty minutes River and Mariah were finally inside the ballroom. Every which way they turned there were celebrities and dignitaries. It was an exciting feeling to be in that room.

“Dad!” Jackson yelled from halfway across the room.

Everyone in the general vicinity turned to look as Jackson, dressed in an adorable tuxedo, ran over to River and gave him a giant hug. Their relationship had grown into something so much more than just mentoring; there was true love between them.

“This is pretty exciting, isn’t it,” River said as he held onto his son. “Does your mother know you’re with me?”

“Yeah, she’s right there,” Jackson said as he pointed to his mother, the new First Lady of the United States.

River waved over to Kimberly to acknowledge that he had Jackson and would keep his eye on him for a bit. Kimberly and Millard looked like they were going to be pretty busy that evening and River was happy to have the time with Jackson anyways.

Now that Jackson lived in Washington D.C. full time, it was going to take a little more planning on River’s part to see his son; but he didn’t expect there to be too many issues. Things were great between the two families and River was excited to continue to show America what a positive blended family really looked like.

“You look very handsome Jackson,” Mariah said as she offered a hug too.

“Thanks.”

“Do you know who that guy is right there?” she asked as she pointed to one of her famous clients in the room.

“Oh, my gosh that’s Michael Jordan!”

“Do you want to meet him?” She offered.

“Can I Dad?”

“Hell, I want to meet him too,” River said as the three of them made their way over to the legend to say hello.

The evening flew by as both Mariah and River ended up knowing many of the people in the room. There were even a few celebrities who had come up and introduced themselves and offered their congratulations on both of their successes. It was a dream evening for Mariah and as she saw Kimberly and Millard take the stage for their speeches, Mariah couldn’t help but think she was happier than she had ever imagined.

She and River were a great match together and that evening just solidified that in her mind. They had seamlessly worked the crowd and talked about work, love, and family. It was exciting and something Mariah was eager to do again and again.

“I better get you up there to your Mom before everything starts,” River said as he noticed the people gathering on the stage.

Mariah watched as River helped Jackson up onto the stage and talked with both Kimberly and Millard for a moment. He said something to the pair that made them both smile and they hugged him before he returned to Mariah.

“What was that all about?” She asked as she noticed the mischievous smile on his face.

“What?”

“You said something to them that made them smile.”

“Oh I don’t remember,” he lied. “Shhh, I think it’s starting.”

River held on to Mariah’s hand while they listened to Millard talk to the crowd. He was actually a very eloquent speaker and really commanded the attention of the room. River wished he could command even half as much attention when he talked at company meetings.

“Life isn’t always perfect. Love, marriage, family, politics; we make a mess of things sometimes. But what truly matters is if you can make things right after the mess. This last year has proven so much to me about myself and the important people in my life,” Millard addressed the crowd.

“My wife, who I’ve loved from the first date we went on. My son who amazes me with his kindness and generosity in everything he does. But one person in my life has surprised me more than others. River Anders.”

The crowd all looked toward River and Mariah as they stood there and calmly waited to hear what Millard had to say.

“As Jackson’s co-father, River has been there for Jackson for many years. He has guided him as his son, long before the legality of being his father aroused. Tonight I want to also celebrate him and Mariah and all they have done to ensure our blended family is as successful as possible in the life we get to lead.”

The room erupted into applause and then quickly calmed as Millard continued his speech.

“I might be your President, but I want to be more than that. I want to be the kind of man that people admire for what he does outside of the spotlight. Now let’s have a party!”

The music volume turned up and the guests slowly made their way onto the dance floor, but as Mariah turned to grab River she saw that he was down on one knee.

“Marry me!” He yelled out over the loud music. “I need to be your husband. I need to be the man who gives you compliments for the rest of your life.”

Mariah was in shock. She looked around at the people watching them and tried to take in the whole situation. She hadn’t expected River to propose. They hadn’t even really talked about marriage.

“Yes,” she replied. “Yes!”

Even though Mariah hadn’t had marriage on her mind, she did have River on her mind. He was the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, and it didn’t matter to her if they got married in five years or the very next day.

River slipped the ring on Mariah’s finger and then stood to sweep her up in his arms. Gently he whispered in her ear.

“That’s a damn nice dress you have on.”

THE END

Dear reader – don’t stop now! I have included an exclusive new bonus novel for your reading pleasure – enjoy “The Billionaire’s Scandal”!

With love,

Sarah