Chapter Eighteen
My hands went to his face and my eyes burned. That went past profound right into taking breath away.
“What?” I said. “We don’t have to Nick, we’re there.” I wiggled my left hand. “We have rings, we have a license—”
“We have signatures on a paper, and your ring is glass,” he said, smoothing my hair back. “I meant what I said. I love you, Lanie. I want to look in your eyes and say those words for real.”
Two tears trickled back into my hair. I felt like the Grinch when his heart grew ten sizes that day. I was overcome with so much everything.
“I l—”
“Lanie, you back here?” came a male voice in the distance.
Nick and I both stiffened in a fight or flight moment of oh shit. He instantly spread out his body to cover mine.
“Who is that?” he whispered.
“I don’t know,” I whispered back.
“We used to wander around back here when we were kids,” said a then familiar voice. “Both their cars are here so I’m thinking—”
“Alan?” I hissed. “What the living hell?”
“Scramble over there and pull your dress on,” Nick said, rolling off me. He grabbed his jeans as I crawled to the relative shelter of the fireplace, rolling onto his back to yank them on.
I, of course had an inside-out, fitted sundress with no damn zipper that was difficult to get on standing up, in air conditioning, with all the time in the world. I pulled it right-side out—I hoped—and struggled wrangling it over my head, while Nick pulled down on it. No bra. No panties. He tugged his own shirt on, it twisting around his shoulder.
“Your underwear,” Nick whispered hurriedly.
I kicked them under a pile of leaves and sat on the bench, still hidden from view.
“Lanie!” Alan called again.
“What?” I asked, standing again and stepping out from behind the fireplace, putting on a very perplexed look.
I had no idea what my hair looked like, whether I was covered in dirt or not, or if I had anything on my face. I didn’t care. I wanted him to leave so I could get back to my conversation. It only took me a lifetime to get there. I felt a tug on my backside as Nick pulled down a section of my dress that didn’t make the trip.
Alan and Bryce were halfway down the path with their backs turned as if they were about to give up and head back. Damn, we should have waited them out. Both their heads swiveled back my direction.
“You are here,” Alan said. “What are you doing back there?” Nick rose up behind me, and Alan physically stepped back, dislike morphing his features.
“Whatever I want to do on my own property,” I said. “What are you doing here?”
“Nick,” Alan said, ignoring my question and saying his name like it tasted rotten. “How appropriate to find you here.”
Nick looked around. “Well, I live here right now, so I guess it is.”
“Right now is the key part of that sentence,” Alan said.
Nick nodded, eyes wide. “Yes, right now,” he emphasized slowly. “We live in California. We’re being forced to do this,” he said, circling with his hands. “By Lanie’s aunt.”
“You’re not being forced to do anything,” Bryce said, his oily voice making my skin crawl. “But you’re sure as hell going all out.”
“And what are you babbling about?” I asked, hands on my hips.
Bryce held out a bent and dog eared piece of paper. It had some sort of stain in one corner.
“Your fake marriage,” he said.
“I can assure it’s very much real,” Nick said, speaking up. “So if that’s all you came to harass us about—”
“It may be technically real,” Alan said. “But not for the five years you claimed.”
Nick looked at me, a mock frown dipping his eyebrows. “Did we claim five years?”
“You live in Sage,” Bryce said. “Lanie’s in Louisiana. Where the hell is all this California crap coming from?”
Okay, we were running out of bluffs.
“What are you so busy and concerned with, that you have time to worry about me?” I asked. Either of them, really.
“I’m concerned that you got hitched for the sole purpose of defrauding a will.”
“We did not,” I said.
“Last month,” Bryce said.
“Okay, so what if we just got married,” I said. “What difference does it make?”
“It’s a lie,” Alan said. “You lied under oath.”
I lifted an eyebrow, pretending to think. “Nope. There was no oath.”
“For all intents and purposes, you got married under false pretenses,” Bryce said. “Under duress from Ruby’s will instructions. Making your stay of three months here invalid.”
I walked up to bald and bulbous Bryce.
“No, my aunt said that my husband and I needed to stay here,” I said. “So I obtained a husband and we’re staying here.”
“Jesus, it sounds like you bought him at Walmart,” Alan sneered.
“No, I picked him up in a parking lot for a steal,” I said, listening to Nick chuckle behind me.
“You got married for the purpose of keeping this house,” Alan said. “Plain and simple. It’s no different from when people get married for green cards. It’s fraudulent.”
“What are y’all doing back here?” All heads turned to where Carmen was picking her way down the rock path on heels that had no business there. “Shit, I’m switching to flats. I don’t care who says they’re unprofessional.”
“Oh good,” I said, pointing dramatically. “A lawyer! Aunt Ruby always said where’s a lawyer when you need one?”
Carmen snickered. “Yeah, right.”
“This is a private conversation about family,” Alan said, as Bryce’s head started to glow.
Carmen stopped picking and looked at him. “And you’re family?”
“Well, we are all God’s children,” I said. “So come on, Carmen, let’s hold hands.”
Alan huffed out a breath. “So were you in on it too?” he directed at her. “You could be disbarred.”
My heart stuttered a bit on that. He was actually right, and bluffing I hoped. Because I would die right there if Carmen lost her license because of me.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but it doesn’t matter,” Carmen said, then turning to me. “Do you want to retain my services?”
I blinked. “Sure.”
“What do you have on you?”
I reached in the little pocket of the dress and my fingers closed on a dime. I held it up like it was hidden treasure. “Perfect,” she said, plucking it from my fingers. “I’m Lanie’s attorney and with that goes confidentiality.”
Oh, I loved her.
“You’re full of shit,” Alan said. “And she’s a fraud.”
“And she’s about to lose everything,” Bryce blustered.
“No, actually, she’s not,” Carmen said, pulling an envelope from her bag. She wiggled it at me. “Got some interesting mail today.”
“From?”
“Aunt Ruby.”
* * *
We all went back to the house, to the front porch. I for one, needed to sit, as my rope-climbing-then-suddenly-used-for-crazy-sex muscles were starting to whine. I couldn’t care less if Dumb and Dumbassery stayed, but they seemed hell bent. Bryce kept eyeing everything like he was appraising property, and I really wanted one of my missing shoes to drop on his head out of nowhere. Come on, Aunt Ruby, show me some skills.
“Evidently your aunt wrote another letter, to be mailed to me after month one of the arrangement,” Carmen said. “It came today.” She handed it to me and then held up her hands. “This, I honestly knew nothing about,” she said. “This was entirely on her.”
I paused, the envelope suddenly heavy in my hand. I wasn’t sure if it was good or bad. I wasn’t sure about anything. I looked at Nick, who was watching me from the porch rail, leaned back against it, his arms crossed over his chest. His wedding ring glinted at me. Mine.
I was sure about him.
I pried up the metal prongs holding the flap and opened it, peering inside. One piece of paper. Notebook paper. Pulling it out, I glanced at Carmen and then Nick again. His eyes burned into me with something that kept echoing in my head.
I love you, Lanie McKane.
No one had ever said that.
I swallowed against a shaky breath and blinked the carefully scrawled handwriting into focus.
My Lanie girl,
My heart squeezed.
You’re probably mad at me still, and that’s okay. I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter if I’d birthed you myself. You’ve been the joy of my life, and my only regret has been that my sister didn’t live to appreciate the gift she had in you. You are so full of life, Lanie, and have so much love inside you. So much to offer. But you keep it all locked down tight for fear of becoming something you’ll never be.
You’re not your mom, honey. Relax.
The words swam in front of me and I blinked tears free.
I know I pissed you off with the house and all. But my girl, your lying skills haven’t gotten any better with age. I forgive you for just trying to make a daffy old woman happy, but it just had to be done. And because I know you and how stubborn-assed you can be, I’m gambling that you finagled some way of coming up with a husband to keep this drafty old house. I’m also gambling that maybe something real happened along the way. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong. But I feel that I’m right. And you know how I get about my feelings.
Carmen chuckled, and I did too through my tears.
So since I’m feeling good about things, you should know that there’s no three-month deal. There never was. I stopped and read that part again. There never was.
“What?”
“Keep going,” Carmen said.
I took a deep breath and let it out.
And don’t fuss at Carmen because I didn’t tell her, either. The money’s yours, the house is yours; it’s already deeded over to you.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, gripping the arm rest of the rocker.
“Wait, what?” Bryce asked.
Tell the Clarks I’m sorry, but they’re all greedy blowhards and they can consider it payback for making me use the Porta-Potty that day when I came to visit their dad and the construction guys were doing the upgrade on that ridiculous house he couldn’t afford.
“Are you kidding me?” Bryce said, his shiny head, neck, and face going red.
They did come by all that entitled greed honestly, so I can’t blame them too much. My brother, rest his soul, was a son-of-a-bitch. Damn, I might have to deal with him again now.
“Are you gonna say something?” Bryce asked Alan, nudging him.
“Say what?” Alan said, disgust all over his face. “It’s done.”
“But she can’t do that,” Bryce said.
Alan raised his eyebrows. “She just did.”
Anyway, I did it all for a reason, Lanie girl. Remember me by living life instead of going through the motions. Quit being afraid. Life is messy. Love is messier. It’s what makes it all the more glorious when you get it right.
Everything in me wanted to look at Nick. To see if we got it right. But I couldn’t.
Now go enjoy your house. Live in it, rent it, sell it, do whatever you want with it, but don’t let the Bowmans get their sticky little hands on it.
“Hey!”
Alan’s face turned three shades of purple, and Bryce stormed down the stairs, headed back toward Alan’s house.
I don’t trust them. They smile too much. And you know how I feel about people who play with bees. Just not right in the head.
“Amen to that,” Carmen said under her breath.
So do what you want to do, but do it with purpose and passion. And love, baby girl. Love with all you have.
Big crazy hugs and finger wiggles,
Aunt Ruby
I suddenly felt drained as I set the paper and the envelope on the small table next to me. The one with the chipped vase and the wooden bowl with the painted on flowers. That belonged to me. Free and clear.
“I think this was a rigged piece of bullshit,” Alan said, headed down the steps. He turned around and pointed at me. “Congratulations, Lanie. You won by out-conniving me.”
I met his eyes and swiped at mine. “There was nothing rigged, Alan. I’m hearing this for the first time just like you.” He waved me off and started walking away.
“It was survival,” Nick said, turning in Alan’s direction. His voice, silent till then, cut through the air. “Doing what she could to hold on to what was hers. That’s not conniving. Or anything whatsoever to do with you.”
Alan stopped and gave a sleazy grin that didn’t reach his eyes.
“How cute, taking up for the little missus. What did you get out of it?” Alan’s eyes narrowed. Somehow I felt the next three moves like a chess player, and I couldn’t move quickly enough. “Money? A piece of that ass? Free blow jobs every—”
“Nick!” I cried, as he was past the steps before I could blink.
Alan was off his feet and shoved up against Nick’s truck before anyone could fully exhale.
“I’m so done with you,” Nick seethed. “Talk like that about her again, and I won’t give a shit how long I spend in jail for it, I’ll enjoy beating you to a pulp.”
“Nick, he’s not worth it,” I said, finding myself at his side. I pulled at his arm. “C’mon, just let him and his jealousy slither away.”
Nick slung him sideways, and Alan barely got his feet under him in time to avoid hitting the ground. Still, always the mouthy scrapper, he had to turn around and get another dig in.
“You think I’m jealous?” Alan threw back. “Of being used and tossed away?” He pointed at Nick, and I swear if I weren’t a grown-up, I would have picked up a handful of gravel and thrown it at him. “She has no more use for you, buddy. You’ve outlasted your purpose.”
“Walk away, Alan,” Carmen called out.
“Oh, shut the hell up, Frosty,” Alan said, his face contorting. “You’re no better than she is. Throw men away when you’re done with them. You would’ve done the same to your little nomad boy-toy if he hadn’t thrown you away first.”
“Leave, Alan,” I said, noting Carmen’s expression at the mention of Sully Hart.
“Speaking of cheap rides,” Alan continued, a sneer on his face. “Did any of you hear about the new deal for Bailey’s Pond?”
“What deal?” Carmen hissed.
“It was in yesterday’s news, don’t you read the paper?” Alan asked. “No, of course you don’t. You’re all too busy fucking strangers.”
I grabbed Nick’s hand and felt him tense.
“Charmed is building a mini-theme park at the pond,” Alan said. “No more carnival after this year after all, Frosty. So I guess this will be your last chance for a redo.” He grinned. “Last opportunity to remake Carmen and the Carny do Charmed. Or maybe Trailer Trash Delight?”
“This is your last chance to get out of my sight,” Nick growled.
“Go home,” I said, shooing Alan like an unwelcome bug. “My property,” I added, pointing at the ground. “Go play on yours.”
“Gladly,” he said, walking off.
“Have a good day.”
“Kiss my ass,” he called over his shoulder, disappearing around the curve.
I waited a full count of five, tapping my foot.
“No thanks!”
I caught Nick’s eye and he shook his head. “How did you ever end a date?”
I ignored that, and focused on Carmen. “Are you okay?”
She pasted on a smile, but the hands rubbing up and down her arms said more.
“Just never gets fucking old,” she said, visibly shaking it off. “So now how about you?” She ran down the steps and hugged me. “Oh my God, just when I think that woman couldn’t surprise me again.”
“No shit.”
“Congratulations!” Carmen said. “No more hiding. No more pretending. Y’all can get on with your lives! And if California—”
“Oh my God, I didn’t get a chance to tell you,” I said. “Cali Dynamics called today and offered me the job.”
Carmen squealed. “Holy shit!”
“I know!” I exclaimed, her excitement ramping me up. “I told them I needed two more months.”
“And now you don’t have to!” she said, grabbing my hands. “I mean, I’ll miss you, but girl, you’ve got to grab this! I’ll take care of the legalities here.”
The legalities. For the first time since I read Aunt Ruby’s letter, I looked to Nick. Really looked. He had backed up to lean against his truck, thumbs hooked in his pockets, watching us. Like a bystander.
Words flew by like a ticker sign. My boss’s words about what’s important in life. I had left work to tell him I wasn’t taking it. Then Nick’s words. The I love you’s and the marry me for real and Aunt Ruby’s quit being afraid, love with all you have—a hell of a lot of significant words in the span of maybe an hour.
Words that I never got to respond to, and that was all over him.
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “We definitely have some things to talk about.”
He nodded and his gaze dropped to some point on the ground between us, and then he pushed off and walked toward the house.
“Where are you going?”
“In.”
“In?”
“Thanks, Carmen,” he said, stopping on a half turn. “I appreciate all you did to help us.”
“No problem,” she said. “The money should be free and clear in a few days.”
Nick gave a thumbs-up and kept walking. I had an odd sense of not-rightness. A disconnect. He was ticked off that I hadn’t said anything back, and that I was excited about the job again, I got that. But the game was just turned on its ear, and we needed to talk about the new parameters. We didn’t have to play it out for two more months. We—could go back to our lives, or no. That was in no way appealing. And he didn’t have a job there, and his daughter was about to leave for college. We could stay here and work the jobs we have, which wasn’t appealing to me, but would be wonderful for him and we’d be together. Marry me for real. Or I could go to California, and he could stay here in Charmed and make a life. Without me. That one made my stomach hurt. I love you, Lanie McKane.
“I wonder if he’d come with me.”