Читать книгу The By Request Collection - Kate Hardy - Страница 43

Thirteen

By the time Gracie and Roman put on their coats and got into the limo her father had sent to fetch them, they were really late. It was windy and cold and lake-effect snow had begun to fall, making the surface roads slippery, adding more time to their drive.

When they finally made it to her father’s estate the limo pulled up to the front steps and a valet opened the door.

They stepped into the foyer, which was a wonderland of draped pink and white tulle and a mix of pink and white blooms. In the foyer alone there had to be thousands of flowers, so she could only imagine how the rest of the house looked.

“Wow,” Roman said under his breath. “That is a lot of pink.”

She elbowed him playfully.

Her mother was the first person Gracie saw as she slipped out of her coat and handed it to an attendant.

Celeste saw them and eyed Roman coolly.

“So,” Roman said. “She’s clearly not happy to see me.”

Gracie had wondered how she would take the news of her and Roman’s reunion. Now she knew: not very well. “Give me a few minutes alone with her,” Gracie said.

“Would you like a drink?” he asked.

“Not just yet. I need to pace myself.”

“So, no more than four?” he teased.

She laughed. “Well, maybe five.”

She crossed the foyer and Roman headed for the bar in the great room. Her mother opened her arms and gave Gracie a warm hug and an air-kiss. Celeste had always been beautiful, tall and lithe and graceful. But tonight she looked positively radiant.

“Mom, you look great!”

“I feel great,” she said. “You look beautiful. Is the dress one of yours? It’s lovely.”

“It’s mine. Have you seen Nora yet?”

“I was up there earlier for pictures. And Gracie, you’ve outdone yourself this time with her dress. It’s absolutely stunning. And Eve’s dress, oh my goodness. That’s beautiful, too. Have I ever told you how talented you are, and how proud I am of you?”

“A time or two,” Gracie said with a smile. Her mother had always been one of her biggest supporters. She’d raised her to be independent and think for herself. In part, Gracie guessed, because Celeste’s parents had made most of her decisions for her. Like marrying Sutton.

“How was your trip?” Gracie asked.

Her mother lit up like a firefly. “Exactly what I needed.”

“You look very happy.”

With a coy smile, she said, “I have reason to be.”

Could it be...? “Mom, did you meet someone?”

Her smile gave it away. “He’s Italian. And ten years younger than me. And the sex?” She fanned her face and Gracie resisted the urge to put her fingers in her ears and sing, la la la la la. But she was so pleased to see her mother happy she didn’t care. At sixty, Celeste was still young and vigorous.

Though her parents never had a great marriage, her mother had still taken the divorce and, more recently, the news of Carson’s paternity hard. There was so much residual bitterness. Gracie had worried that being here would bring all of that hurt and turmoil back up to the surface on what should be a happy occasion.

“Your father doesn’t look well at all,” her mother commented. “It’s obvious he hasn’t much time left.”

“I know,” Gracie said, her heart aching a little at the thought of losing him. He wasn’t a great man, but he had been a good father. It broke her heart to know that he wouldn’t be there for her wedding, or to see his grandchildren if she had any. That was something she and Roman needed to talk about eventually. And speaking of... “So I guess you probably heard about me and Roman.”

At the mention of his name, her mother’s smile faded. “You know how I feel about him. About the hell that he put you through.”

“I know, but I’ve forgiven him for that and we’ve moved forward.” It had felt so good to say the words, to finally let go of the past and start fresh.

Her mother’s lips dipped into a frown. “I don’t trust him.”

“But I do, and that’s all that matters.”

“You’ll have to give me time to get used to this. Don’t expect me to immediately welcome him with open arms just because you do.”

The truth was, Gracie didn’t really care what her mother or anyone else thought, because it wasn’t their decision, or their business.

“I should probably go say hello to Daddy,” she told her mother. “We’ll talk more later.”

“Of course,” Celeste said, looking a little hurt. But Gracie was so happy and she didn’t want anything to spoil her day.

As she walked through the house she saw so many familiar faces. Though a Thanksgiving wedding was a little unconventional, everyone from the guest list seemed to be there. Carson and Georgia stood chatting with Gina Chamberlain, and Graham was at the bar with Roman. She had heard Brooks would not be attending, though out of courtesy he had been invited. Eve and Nash, as maid of honor and best man, were likely upstairs getting ready. But there were countless other friends and extended family, all of whom she would get to eventually, but as Nora had told her, she was a guest at this wedding. She would leave the formal greetings to the wedding party. This being her second marriage, Nora had chosen to keep it small and intimate. But Nora being Nora, she fretted over leaving her sister out. Gracie had been in the wedding party at Nora’s first wedding, though. She just wanted her sister to do what made her happy.

After the ceremony in the arboretum, a sit-down turkey feast would be served in the ballroom, which hadn’t been used in Grace couldn’t remember how long, and there would be music and dancing afterward. When she was a child they used to have elaborate holiday celebrations with all of their friends and family, but as she and her sisters got older, and their parents’ marriage got rockier, the parties had been few and far between.

She found her father sitting in his wheelchair, nurse at the ready, amidst a group of business associates.

When he saw her approaching, he smiled. Despite her mother’s observation, Gracie thought he looked pretty good today. He wasn’t so pale, and he still looked dashing in a tux.

He shooed away the men and waved her closer.

“Princess, you look beautiful,” he said as she leaned down to kiss his cheek.

“And you look handsome as usual.”

“You know, after so many years of wearing a suit I actually miss my robe and slippers,” he joked, and it was so nice to see him in good spirits. She’d been so busy at work lately she hadn’t had much time to visit with him. She needed to make more of an effort.

“Are you still planning to walk Nora down the aisle?”

He nodded, a look of determination on his face. “If it kills me.”

“Daddy, don’t say that.”

“I’m kidding. I’ll be fine. I’m feeling good today.”

She could see it, and she was so relieved. She had worried that he might be too ill to even attend. But he was tough, although much softer around the edges now and much more sentimental.

“Are you still at Roman’s?” he asked her. The last time she’d seen her father she explained the entire situation, not sure if he would even remember the conversation. But apparently he had.

“I am. Until he thinks it’s safe for me to go home.”

“I never liked Dax,” he said, frowning. “I never trusted him.”

“I still can’t believe I was so wrong about him. I feel so stupid.”

“Don’t,” her father said, taking her hand. His felt cold and frail. “You see the good in people. It’s your gift.”

Some gift. In this instance it could have gotten her seriously hurt. Or possibly even killed.

For a fleeting second she thought about Roman, and how she had trusted him, too. But that was different.

Wasn’t it?

A bell rang, alerting everyone that it was time to move to the arboretum for the ceremony. Nash appeared to wheel Sutton to the spot where he would meet Nora.

Roman stepped up beside Gracie and offered his arm, smiling so sweetly and looking so handsome she couldn’t doubt him. She just needed to let it go and let herself be happy.

She took his arm and they found seats in the arboretum in the family section up near the front. A few minutes later Reid took his place beside the reverend, looking dashing in his tux and so happy. And maybe a little nervous, too. Nash stood beside him. Soft music played as Eve walked down the aisle, followed by Nash’s niece, Phoebe, who sprinkled pink and white rose petals over the satin runner while her twin brother, Jude, watched anxiously from his mother’s lap. Declan was next, looking adorable and debonair in his tux, carrying the pink pillow with the rings.

When the wedding march began everyone stood and turned, and when her sister appeared, Gracie’s breath caught. In cream silk, with her pale complexion, Nora looked like a living porcelain statue. Her dress was simple but elegant and fit her perfectly. Gracie couldn’t help but give herself a pat on the back.

“You’ve outdone yourself,” Roman said softly, making her smile.

Sutton moved slowly, bracing himself against his daughter, but held his head high. And when he gave her away to Reid Gracie could swear there were tears in his eyes.

The ceremony was short but heartfelt, and when Declan got restless and wanted Mommy, Nora and Reid held him together as they spoke their vows. And when they kissed, he kissed them, too. It was probably the sweetest thing that Gracie had ever seen. They were truly a family united by love, and for a moment Grace wanted that so badly for herself it almost hurt. That would be her and Roman someday. Getting married, having a family. Growing old together. She knew it beyond a shadow of doubt.

* * *

The reception afterward truly was a feast, but the guilt chewing a hole in Roman’s gut made it almost impossible to eat. He found himself wishing there was a family dog he could slip his dinner to, the way he had when he was a kid. When Gracie asked him if something was wrong, he told her the whiskey he’d drunk earlier had upset his stomach. Her look of sympathy, and her offer to go find him an antacid, nearly did him in.

He would drink himself into a stupor if he thought it would help, but he’d never been one to use alcohol as a crutch. He knew too many soldiers who turned to drinking to deal with their PTSD and he refused to go there. But at times like this it was tempting.

After dinner they mingled, but Roman noticed that Sutton, back in his wheelchair, didn’t look so good. Maybe a little bit of Grace was rubbing off on Roman. He could hardly believe he had sympathy for the man, considering what a son of a bitch he’d always been. Sitting alone with his nurse at his side, Sutton looked so old and frail and sullen. He was too weak to even dance with Nora. And Roman felt compelled to do something.

What the hell.

Roman walked over to Sutton, nudged his nurse aside and said, “You look like you need a breather.”

The relief was clear on Sutton’s face. “My suite,” he said, so Roman pushed him there, and strangely enough no one seemed to notice or care. The shark was gone, reduced to nothing more than...a goldfish. A sick, helpless old man. But Roman knew that he would never be forgotten. He’d made his mark on the world, and no one could ever take that from him. But clearly he was ready to throw in the towel. Ready to let someone take over his legacy. He had groomed Eve to be the shark that he’d once been, but with her softer side, she would rule the family business with compassion and heart. And she would never have to live with the regret that was so obvious in Sutton’s expression. He’d lived large and fast, and burned out before his time. Roman hoped that if nothing else, Sutton’s children had learned from his mistakes.

Sutton ordered his nurse to take her seat in the hallway, and when the door was closed and they were alone, he told Roman, “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I needed a breather, too,” he said, brushing his thanks off, realizing that it was actually disturbing to see such a powerful man reduced to this. What a terrible way to go.

“Help me into bed?” Sutton asked, surprising Roman again.

Without a word Roman helped him undress and change into his pajamas. He was too weak to stand so Roman literally had to lift him into his bed.

“I’m tired, Roman,” he said, as he settled back against the pillows. “I’m tired of fighting.”

“I understand,” Roman said, and he did. There were times, as a POW, when he’d been tempted to give up, to let the enemy win, but he’d kept on fighting. But his enemy had been radical Al Qaeda soldiers. Sutton’s enemy was cancer, and it was eating him from the inside out.

“I know you do,” Sutton said, then asked, “Have you heard from Agent Crosswell?”

Roman was stunned into silence, and Sutton just smiled. “I may be a sick old man, but I still have connections. After what Dax Caufield did to my daughter...” He shook his head and frowned, as if he couldn’t bear to think about it. “I knew he was crooked, but I also knew that eventually he would be exposed for who he really was. I never thought he was dangerous. Especially not to Grace. When I heard what happened I took matters into my own hands and made a few calls.”

“No, I haven’t heard from him,” Roman said. “But I’m hoping to soon.”

“You love my daughter.”

The question caught him off guard. “Yes, I do.”

He always had.

“And I trust that you’ll keep her safe.”

“I lied to her,” he said, the words coming out of nowhere. “I lied to her again.”

He expected Sutton to be angry, but instead he said, “Yes. But you did it to keep her safe.”

That didn’t make it right. “She may not see it that way.”

“Roman,” he said. “I love all of my children equally. I may not show it, but I do. But Grace? There’s something special about her. She always sees the good in people. She always gives people the benefit of the doubt. God knows she’s done it for me. She will forgive you.”

Roman wasn’t so sure. “I lied to her.”

“You didn’t have a choice.”

No, but that still didn’t make it right. “I have to tell her the truth.”

“You will, when the time is right. And she’ll forgive you, and give you another chance. Because that’s who she is.”

Again, Roman wasn’t so sure about that.

“When you get home tonight, turn on the news.”

Sutton obviously knew something he didn’t. “Why?”

The old man’s smile was devious, and for an instant he looked like the Sutton he used to be. “As I said, I still have my connections.”

Without elaborating, Sutton closed his eyes, and in an instant he was asleep, leaving Roman to wonder if they had arrested Dax today, or were planning to.

He left Sutton sleeping and headed back to the ballroom, but Carson, on his way to the den, told him, “Roman, you have to see this.”

Roman followed him, joining a large group of the wedding guests gathered around the television. It was tuned to the news, and the banner across the screen screamed State Senator Arrested on Fraud Charges.

And sure enough, there was Dax on the screen being led away from his home in handcuffs. The relief Roman felt left him weak. He could finally talk to Gracie and tell her the truth. And he could stop worrying about her safety.

He saw Gracie standing over by the bar, a drink in her hand, and she waved him over.

“Is this really happening?” she said, looking dazed.

“It’s really happening.” And it was about time.

“I knew something was up, but I never expected this.”

Clearly no one had if the shocked expressions and low hum of incredulous chatter were any indication.

“Does this mean I’m safe now?” she asked Roman, looking so hopeful it made him feel about an inch tall.

“I hope so.” Things would be dicey, and he was sure that she would be getting a visit from the FBI. Which meant he had to tell her the truth, before she heard it from someone else. So he said, “We need to talk.”

She frowned. “Right now?”

“Yes, right now.”