Chapter 34
Elizabeth
I showed Doris the bathroom, which had two sinks. One for me and one for Caden. His side was messy with blue toothpaste splats while mine was pristine. The tub held body wash for him and homemade scrub and cleanser for me.
Doris picked up my rose infused hand lotion from the vanity, opened it and inhaled the flowery scent.
"Everything in here smells divine. What brand do you use?"
"My own." I couldn't help but beam. People appreciating my products always warmed my insides.
"For real?" Doris looked surprised and continued to pick up the various lotions and potions. "How do you even begin making stuff like this?"
"I started when I was a teenager. I wasn't as cute as my sisters, and I had the worst acne—pair that with braces and I was a knockout. Everything the doctor prescribed for my skin made it worse. After reading a blog post by Maggie Tisserand about natural cures, I became obsessed and started making my own stuff. After a few weeks of experimenting, my skin cleared up. Making products has been an obsession ever since."
"You know," Doris said. "My thirteen-year-old is going through a tough time now. She doesn't have severe acne, but she has bad breakouts. Every day she comes home crying saying the kids are teasing her. Middle grade is hard. A lot harder than when I was a kid. She puts on a brave face in school but lets it all out when she comes home. It breaks my heart to see her hurt."
"I have just the thing," I said. "Come with me."
I hurried to the spare room opposite the bathroom, and when I opened the door, a delicious riot of scents wrapped around us, and I immediately relaxed.
"This place smells like heaven."
"Whenever I come in here, I feel like I've stepped into my personal piece of paradise." I went to the shelf where I kept my skincare products and selected a face wash, an astringent, an oil blend that would act as a moisturizer, and a small bottle of scar treatment.
"Please take these. I would hate for her to suffer the way I did." I picked up a leaflet that explained how to use the products and popped everything into a pink paper bag. "Most of these include tea tree. The blend I've made will nourish her skin and fight the causes naturally without her having to use skin-irritating products. She should also talk to a dermatologist to rule anything like hormone imbalances out."
"Oh, I can't," she said eyeing the bag. "It could be seen as taking bribes."
"It's not a bribe. I promise. Please take them for your daughter. All of the instructions are inside. I know if she uses these products religiously, she'll see a big difference in a week or two. I've also given her a blend that'll help with any scarring if she has any."
Doris looked at the bag and then looked at me. "Taking these won't change my mind. If I think you're lying to me or hiding something, I'll put it in my report."
"I understand. Why don't I put the bag by the front door and if you happen to pick it up when you're leaving, that would be okay."
Doris smiled, the first genuine one she'd given. "I like how you think." She placed her clipboard down on the stainless-steel workbench I used to make my concoctions, and said, "Let's get real for a minute. Why did you marry him so fast? You knew him, what a week?"
I gathered a handful of lavender petals from a basin and let them fall through my fingers. The soothing scent drifted upward, and I was thankful for it. I needed all the help I could get.
"I know how it looks." Lies, lies, and more lies. "I love him. It's that simple. He believes in me and makes me think I can do anything. I've never had that before from anyone, apart from my sisters."
Doris scribbled in her notebook. "Tell me your story. I'm not going to ask you questions like his favorite color or food. Or—" she laughed, "—the brand of skincare you use. Those can be rehearsed. I want to know your story. I want to know when you knew."
"Before we got married, I wondered if I was being swept away in some rollercoaster of lust. I mean look at him."
"Oh, I did. There was enough of him on display."
"And look at me. Someone like him never falls for someone like me, but he did. It wasn't like I didn't love him when we married, I did, but it's almost like our wedding day was the day I fully fell in love with him. He carried me over the threshold and kissed me so tenderly I thought I would die. As cheesy as it sounds, it was like the world had stopped spinning. I don't know how to describe it. Have you ever been kissed like that?"
"A few times."
"I love him. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I know I want this to last forever."
"Does he feel the same way about you?" Doris asked, jotting down a few more notes.
"I hope he does. He says he loves me. Shows me he loves me all the time."
"He sounds kind of perfect."
"He's perfect for me."
"I hope it stays that way once the honeymoon period is over." Doris picked up the bag full of goodies and hung them from the crook of her elbow. "I think I'm done. I'll ask your husband a few questions then I'll be on my way."
"So, am I going to prison?"
Doris smiled and patted my hand. "Not today, Sweetie."
I held onto the table to stop from keeling over. "Thank you."
"You have nothing to worry about. If he loves you the way you love him, I can see you lasting forever."
****
Caden stood by the cliff gazing at the ocean looking every bit as perfect as I'd described to Doris.
She seemed like a good and honest person, and part of me felt like I should get down on my knees, confess my sins, and beg for forgiveness.
"That man of yours is something to look at, and I'm sure quite the charmer to boot."
I laughed. "Yes, he is. But he doesn't need to know that."
"Honey, believe me, he knows. Thanks again for your honesty and for the goodies."
"You're welcome. When I open my spa, you and your daughter will have to come for a visit. I would love it if you came as my guests."
"Thank you. We'll see."
I peered at her clipboard, trying to see what she'd written about us, but before I could, she pushed it under her arm. She pulled a business card from her purse and gave it to me.
"If you ever need to talk, call me."
"I really appreciate you listening and understanding why we married so soon."
"I don't do these visits in the hope of catching people out. I want to find couples like you who are married for the right reasons. God knows the divorce rate is high enough without adding to it. You wouldn't believe the kind of things I find when I go on these morning visits. It's just nice to find a normal couple. If your husband can corroborate what you've told me, we're all good."
His story might be a little different from mine, but for both our sakes, I hoped he'd tell something equally convincing.
I watched as Doris made her way to Caden. When he sensed her nearing, he glanced over his shoulder and smiled. Stubble shadowed his jaw. He'd never looked sexier, and I'd never wanted or loved him as much.
A lump formed in my throat. He hadn't mentioned saying he loved me, but neither had I. There was a chance he hadn't meant it. A hard dick would make a man say anything.
After a few minutes of scribbling, Doris shook Caden's hand and walked to her car. She smiled at me and gave me a thumbs up.
Whatever he had said to Doris must have convinced her.
He took long-legged strides toward me, and when he stood in front of me, he picked me up and spun me around.
"We did it. We have nothing else to worry about. We can get on with fixing the club and get on with our lives. Let's go inside, Mrs. Gallagher, I want to show you how happy I am."
His erection pressed against my stomach. "I can already tell."
He carried me inside and kicked the door closed.
We'd fooled everyone including ourselves.