Black & White (Picture Perfect #1) (18 page)

I saw photos of William as a teenager and realized I’d been right about the nerd thought. He was tall and lanky, braces covering his pearly whites. There was evidence of his beauty shining through in the young face that showed in the photos.

"You must be Beth," a voice announced from behind me.

I turned to face an older woman, whose beauty was timeless. She had the typical '50's flare for feminine grace. The one piece floral dress she wore was held snug around her slender waist by a pretty apron. Her light brown hair floated loose over her shoulders, cascading down her back. Her eyes matched William's.

I put out my hand to accept hers. "Yes, and you must be Mrs. Lorde."

"Please, Beth, I may be a grandmother, but I'm definitely not
that
old. Emma will be fine," she chuckled.

"Of course, Emma." I tested the name on my tongue, shaking her hand.

"William's with Angel, he's just putting her down for a nap," Emma explained, drawing me by the hand towards the couch.

The smells floating through the house were absolutely delicious. The aroma of herbs and spices flavoring a roast wafted though the room. The other scents came from the fresh flowers which were arranged around the room. There had been great care taken to make the home comfortable for anyone who entered.

"William told me you were bringing some pictures with you," Emma stated. Her anticipation was overwhelming.

"Yes, I have them right here." I held up my shoulder bag.

"I'm so excited to see them." Emma was practically bouncing on the spot.

"Same here."

I turned to discover Anne doing the same excited bounce.
Like mother, like daughter.

"Could you two fairies leave her alone for a few minutes so she can set up?"

My body melted as William's voice drifted into my ears. I turned slowly and the temperature in the room seemed to rise when I caught sight of him. His hair was messy and wet from a recent shower. His cologne was invading my senses, leaving me smoldering. The look in his eyes confirmed he was having the same lustful thoughts as I was. I mentally shook my head, telling myself to hold it together.

"Sorry, William," Emma answered. "Of course, Beth, we'll give you a few minutes to get everything ready."

"It's fine, Emma. I understand how exciting this is for all of you," I replied, opening the bag.

William moved around the coffee table, sitting next to me as I pulled the photos out. I made sure to leave the
pièce de résistance
in the bag. I wanted to show one of the two items which remained to William privately. The other one was something special for the entire family.

I spread the photos over the table and Anne settled on the floor across from us.

"Oh my god, Beth." She breathed out the words, appearing amazed. "I was there. I never would have thought there was anything this beautiful in the shoot."

Emma delicately touched each photo, her fingers tracing the images, as if she were trying to silently memorize each detail. "They're so beautiful."

I smiled as I picked up a photo and handed it to Emma. It was another one of my favorites. The words to describe the photos were innocence, love, and devotion. So many emotions had flowed through my heart when I first saw them.

"She's so tiny," Emma's voiced wavered with emotion.

"Angel’s perfect, Emma," I added.

"Yes, perfect," Emma agreed. "I don't know how to pick the right one. They're all so wonderful." A single tear of joy ran down her cheek.

I decided it was time to let everyone in on my special surprise. "You don't have to pick." I reached into the bag and pulled out the album I’d created.

Anne gasped as she realized what I’d done, slapping one hand over her mouth. Regaining some of her composure, she reached out for the album and laid it carefully on an empty space on the table. She opened the album and ‘oh'ed’ and ‘ah'ed’ over each picture. Emma's amazed gasps were filled with raw emotion.

William laid his hand on my leg, grabbing my attention when the powerful electrical current we created in one another flowed through my skin. I turned and watched his lips curl up into a smile. He mouthed the words ‘
thank you’
.

I held his gaze, suddenly realizing how precious Angel was to everyone in the Lorde family. She wasn't just the center of William's world, she
was
the world and the family revolved around her orbit. She was clearly worshiped by all of them.

I wondered what William's reaction would be to the most precious photograph in the collection. I anticipated his reaction and silently craved the warm hug I knew was coming from him.

~~~~~~~~~~

After finishing one of the best meals I had eaten in years, William and I settled in the confines of his small bedroom.

The home-cooked meal Emma had created had been beyond words. The aromas, tastes and even the textures had been exquisite. The roast beef had been cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth. William informed me the fresh vegetables had been handpicked from Emma's garden. Emma was a true artist in the kitchen and I could see where William had inherited his creativity from. Everything she’d served had been beautifully presented, as well as being absolutely delicious.

I was uncomfortably full when I settled on the futon in William’s room, which doubled as his bed. I watched him feeding Angel. He was sitting in a rocking chair at the opposite side of the room, with Angel snuggled against the crook of his arm.

I couldn't help myself, reaching into my bag and pulling out my camera. I carried the camera everywhere, because I always saw beauty in my surroundings, which needed to be captured and made timeless.

William's eyes popped open at the sound of the camera shutter clicking. I was delighted to see the bright light shimmering in his eyes. It was a huge difference from the dull emptiness I’d seen during our first meeting at the studio.

"Do you mind?" I asked, jiggling the camera at him.

"No." He answered softly, careful not to disturb Angel.

I brought the camera back up to my face and continued shooting photos of the two of them. Angel was so sweet and innocent. I could understand how easily she mesmerized everyone who came within contact of her.

Setting the camera back in the bag, I studied the frames decorating the walls. There were lots of photos of Angel, ranging from newborn to more recent. They were beautiful photos; it was obvious the buyer had an talent for choosing the correct tone of each photo.

The one photo which didn't match the room wasn't even a photo. It was an original painting of a lighthouse. The attention to detail was quite remarkable. The swipes of paint were placed carefully, to give a sense of a breeze in the air. The sun had been shining brightly; the light blending into the lighthouse and reflecting off the water crashing onto the beach.

I knew the painting had to be William's. I could see the love and devotion involved in making the painting perfect. I thought the painting must have some significance, to be the only one displayed in his bedroom.

William finished feeding Angel and moved her to his shoulder. "Do you ever want to have children, Beth?" William asked, as he rubbed Angel's back in a circular motion.

"Me? God, no." I was shocked by the question. "I doubt I have the maternal instinct in me."

William carried Angel over to the crib and tucked her in, under a pastel colored blanket which covered sheets decorated with baby ducklings. "I didn't think I had the instinct, not until Angel was born."

He sat next to me on the futon, the sizzle of the ever-present electrical current zinging around us. I reached into my bag again and removed my private present for William. "I'm sure you noticed there was a picture missing from the photo album."

William's expression became somber. He nodded his head, his uncontrollable hair flicking. I watched him swallow hard as I turned the picture frame over, exposing the photo which had caused his meltdown at the follow-up meeting.

William's eyes began to tear up as he reached out, taking the photo. He ran his hand over Angel's face. "She looks so much like Angelina."

He reached over the metal arm of the futon to the table beside it and opened a drawer, pulling out a rectangular framed picture of his own.

He passed the photo to me hesitantly. I held my breath as I stared down at it. The portrait couldn't be anyone other than Angelina. In the features, I could see a mature Angel staring back at me. Angelina’s chestnut brown hair fell in waves over her shoulders. Her high cheek bones and pouty lips were a perfect match to Angel’s. Her skin was soft and dark in comparison to William’s.

Her chestnut eyes were gorgeous and filled with life and love. She had been looking through the camera to the person behind it. I assumed it had been William taking the shot. I could see her love, it was such a tangible thing, I could almost feel it. She loved him.

"She's beautiful and Angel looks so much like her," I breathed.

"Yeah..." William whispered, "that's the best and worst thing about her."

I knew where his pain and the comment were coming from. "William, never see it as a bad thing. It hurts, I understand that, but you have a constant reminder of a beautiful person you had the privilege to know, someone you loved and who loved you in return. Cherish that and remind Angel daily that her mommy loves her and is watching over her. Tell her stories about your memories and keep Angelina alive here." I placed my hand over his heart.

"It hurts, Beth," William responded. "What if I fail? Angel depends on me for everything. What if I can't live up to her expectations?"

His heart was pounding heavily within his chest. "How can you fail? She's happy and healthy. Angel has a wonderful family, and with them, you have support from people who love you and her unconditionally. There's no way for you to fail, William."

I handed the photo back to him, and he began placing it back in the drawer. I reached out, snagging the sleeve of his shirt, halting his movement. "Don't hide her away, William."

"What?" There was confusion in his expression.

"I know you're in pain, I know you don't think you're strong enough, but hiding her in a drawer isn't the solution." I got up and took the photo from him.

With a quick glance around the room, I found a spare nail sticking out of the wall. I placed the photo on the wall and stepped back, checking to make sure it was straight.

"I've seen what can happen when you bottle up your grief. I don't want you to turn into that type of person, William. Your heart is too big to have it turn dark," I said as I sat back down on the couch.

"What makes you think that'll happen to me?" William asked.

"I've seen it happen." I dropped my head as I answered, not meeting his gaze.

"Beth," William's fingers pulled my chin up, so I was looking him in the eyes, "talk to me."

"I don't want you to hide your grief, William. Tucking it away and not dealing with it will only make you a bitter man. Please, trust me when I say you have such a long life to live. It's so tiring to hide yourself from the beautiful world that’s out there." I hoped William accept my statement and not question my own attitude.

I was destined for disappointment in that regard. "I hear your words, but you're still closing yourself off to me, Beth. Why do you do that?" William sighed. "You want me to do something I don't think I'm ready for, but you won't face your own fears."

"I'm here for you, William. I'm your friend and I want you to see what the world has to offer," I answered defensively, avoiding his comment.

"Why don't you follow your own rules, Beth? I'm sure the world has something to offer for you as well."

Then William did something I wasn't expecting. He reached out and pulled me up from the couch and against his body. His scent surrounded me and I wanted to melt into his warmth. He ran soothing circles with his thumb over my back as he laid his chin on the top of my head. I could feel my hair move as he inhaled against me.

I wasn't sure how to handle this. We’d agreed to be friends, but William had also warned me he would be stubborn about the obvious attraction we had for one another. An internal battle was waging between my heart and my head as I stood there silently. I fought both with equal ferocity. Was he comforting me as a friend or was he using this to his advantage? No, he'd never hurt me like that. He'd never use anything against me. It wasn't in his nature. I looked down as my fingers fidgeted with my leather cuff.

"Beth, you want me to grieve over my loss, but I sense you've never grieved over yours," William whispered into my hair.

"I don't have a loss. I saw someone I love suffer over one." The words were barely a whisper as I voiced them. What I told him was half the truth.

"Who, Beth?" William asked. "Please, talk to me."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. William's musky scent assaulted my nose, relaxing my body even deeper against his. "My father." I couldn't understand how someone I'd only known a couple of weeks was capable of getting me to unlock the past so easily.

"The divorce." He said the words more as a confirmation than a question.