Forces of Nature (19 page)

“Yes, ma'am,” Crystal said as she and Douglas broke their embrace. He turned to leave the kitchen.

“Young man?” Erin called out. “You can get started shucking the corn.”

“Yes, ma'am,” he replied with a smile. Then he turned to Crystal. “I see where you get it from.”

She jabbed him in the side with her elbow. “Funny.”

While Crystal, Douglas, and Erin prepared dinner, Joel and Dr. Taylor talked about the history of the farm for the historical society. Though Dena offered to help in the kitchen, Erin shooed her away, telling her that she and Waylon should continue their talk.

After preparing a dinner of sweet corn on the cob, homemade biscuits, roasted chicken and rice, the group headed outside to dine on the porch.

“I think Hughes Farm meets all of the requirements to be considered for the national registry,” Dr. Taylor said between bites of corn. “Now, have you all kept a written history of the farm?”

“Yes,” Joel said.

“But it hasn't been updated lately,” Crystal admitted.

Joel glanced at his daughter. “I guess fighting off a corporation trying to bulldoze your property doesn't leave time to update the history books.” He shot a pointed look at Douglas and then broke out into laughter. The rest of the table joined in.

“Listen,” Douglas said, “I messed up. I admit it.”

“It wasn't all your fault,” Joel said. “You were pulled into a fight that began way before you were born.”

“And I didn't give you the counsel you needed about this property,” Waylon said. “Had I known that you thought this project was your father's final wish, I would've told you what it was all about.”

Dena cut into her chicken and turned to Dr. Taylor. “Now, we can leave this part out of the history book,” she said, eliciting laughter from the group.

“Of course, Dena,” Dr. Taylor said.

Erin smiled as she looked around the table and squeezed her husband's hand. “This is nice, isn't it?”

“Yes, it is, but I still need to have a conversation with young Mr. Wellington. Alone.”

“Daddy, please,” Crystal pleaded, hoping that her father wasn't about to cause a scene. He'd promised to give him a chance, didn't he?

Joel rose to his feet and motioned for Douglas to follow him. Crystal started to follow, but her mother stopped her. “It'll be fine. You know your father isn't good with public apologies,” she whispered.

Crystal could do nothing but watch the two men walk toward the rose garden.

Douglas didn't get nervous often, but walking into the rose garden with Joel Hughes gave him pause and made his heart beat a little faster. Was all truly forgiven?

Joel glanced over at Douglas and smiled. “Calm down, son. I just want to talk to you and thank you.”

“Thank me?” Douglas asked.

Joel cleared his throat. “Yes. Thank you for what you've done to protect this farm, even though it came at great expense to your career.”

“Mr. Hughes, I never knew what my father's plan was.”

“I believe that now, even if it took me some time to come to that conclusion. I'm sorry that I prejudged you without getting to know you. Obviously, my daughter is pretty smitten with you.”

Douglas couldn't help but smile. “As I am with her.”

“That's good to know, but I wouldn't be a good father if I didn't tell you that if you hurt my daughter, I'm going to hurt you.”

Douglas nodded. “I understand and I wouldn't do anything to hurt Crystal. Who knew I'd fall for the woman who handcuffed herself in the lobby of my building?”

Joel guffawed. “That's my baby girl. When she gets a head of steam about something, nothing can stop her. You'd better get used to it,” he said.

“I'm just glad we're on the same side now,” Douglas said.

Joel nodded. “Do you plan on helping her run the farm now that you've stepped down from Welco?”

“I do. Being here and seeing what the farm means to the community gives me a lot of ideas—how we can produce more and even turn a profit.”

Joel held up his hand and shook his head. “This isn't your typical business, and I hope your changes aren't going to interfere.”

“No, not all. I'm thinking once the farm becomes a historic landmark that we should offer tours, and the profits would go to support the Starlight House and other charities as well as the day-to-day operation of the farm.”

“That sounds amazing.”

Douglas looked down at his watch. “I have one bit of business I have to take care of before I'm officially done with Welco.”

“I'd like to discuss this proposition of yours further before Erin and I head back to Florida. It sounds like a really great idea.”

Douglas smiled proudly, happy that he had impressed Joel. One thing he knew for sure about Joel was that he was a hard man to impress. “I'll have a proposal ready that we can discuss over breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“I guess having a former CEO on our side isn't going to be that bad either,” Joel said, extending his hand to Douglas. “Thank you.”

Douglas shook Joel's hand firmly. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

“That you should thank Crystal for.” Joel pointed his thumb toward a pink rosebush. “She planted this bush when she was twelve. I think she'd appreciate a dozen or so of them when you come back to visit this evening.”

Douglas and Joel returned to the house to a bunch of silent questions. “Well,” Douglas said, breaking the silence, “I have to go back into town. Dr. Taylor, are you ready?”

The older man rubbed his belly. “I think I've eaten enough corn,” he said as he slowly rose to his feet. “Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, thank you for your hospitality and this wonderful meal. I can't wait to get started on the history of Hughes Farm.”

Douglas crossed over to Crystal and pulled her into his arms. “I will see you tonight,” he whispered. “In the dollhouse.”

“I'll be waiting,” she replied quietly.

As Douglas and Dr. Taylor headed for the car, he glanced over his shoulder at Crystal standing on the porch. Yeah, he needed to hurry so that he could get back to her as soon as possible. He couldn't wait for the time when he woke up to that face every morning.

 

 

Erin, Dena, and Crystal cleared the dinner dishes and cleaned the kitchen while Joel and Waylon sat on the back porch smoking cigars and preparing the smoker to roast some meat that Erin and Joel planned to take back to Florida. “Did you ever think you'd see the day?” Dena asked Erin.

“Not in a million years. You know, when we were in Florida, if I brought up Waylon's name Joel would just walk out of the room. I'm glad it's all been cleared up. Joel finally knows that Junior was scheming to take this farm by himself and Waylon didn't tell him about Pop's dementia.”

“If that bastard Junior wasn't dead, I'd kill him,” Dena spat. “When I needed Waylon, he made sure that he was nowhere around.”

Crystal was so taken in by her mother and Dena's story that she could only stand there with her mouth open.

“Thank God his son seems to be the total opposite of his father,” Erin said, stroking her daughter's arm. “I had no idea that Junior was that obsessed with me.”

Dena rolled her eyes as she dried a serving tray. “You obviously never saw his wife.”

“What do you mean?” Erin asked.

“She was a clone of you, E. I don't know if he had her built or if it's true that we all have a twin out there.”

“Wow,” Crystal said. “I thought the same thing when I saw the wedding picture. It's scary to know someone could be so obsessed with another person and would do all of this.”

Dena pointed her dish rag at Crystal. “Be glad you don't have to deal with him.”

“Where is Douglas's mother now?” Crystal asked Dena.

She shrugged. “When Trey was eleven, she just left. Waylon says that Junior paid her to leave and she did. Were it not for Waylon, Trey would've probably been just as cold and evil as his dad. I think that's why he wanted to get away and do his music thing. But Waylon asked him to come back when Junior got sick.”

“That's so sad,” Crystal said.

“Junior caused a lot of sadness wherever he went, as if a dark cloud of doom followed him,” Dena said bitterly.

“He's dead, Dena. Let him rest in peace,” Erin said. “We all had our issues with him. But we're still above ground. I imagine he died a lonely man.”

“You're right,” she said.

Crystal wondered what was in the diary that Douglas found. Was he going to read it? How would knowing his father's deepest and darkest thoughts affect him? Crystal couldn't imagine how she would handle things if she were in his shoes.

Erin looked at Crystal. “Girl, those dishes aren't going to wash themselves and I'm not letting you out of here to see your boyfriend until this kitchen is clean.”

Crystal laughed, feeling like a young girl again. “Yes, Mom.”

Dena glanced out the window as if she was checking to see if Waylon and Joel were still getting along. “I hope it doesn't take long for Welco to find a CEO. I don't want Waylon to get drawn back into the corporate rat race.”

“Sounds like you two are going to pick up where things left off,” Erin said. “I'm glad to hear it. Remember when we were supposed to have a double wedding?”

Dena laughed. “Yeah, that was the plan. Wow, the seventies.”

After the kitchen was cleaned, Crystal headed to her room to get ready for her evening with Douglas at the cottage. She couldn't wait to feel his arms around her and his lips pressed against hers. Hopping into the shower, her mind was filled with all of the erotic things they'd do the moment they were alone together. If her parents weren't here, she'd simply cross over to the cottage in nothing more than her towel and wait for her man.

Following her shower, Crystal dressed in a strapless maxidress and a pair of wedge sandals. She decided to skip the underwear so that there wouldn't be much between her and Douglas's touch. Now, she had to practice patience until he returned to the farm.

 

 

Douglas pressed “Print” for the Waverly Welco Business Park project report. “Amy,” he called out of habit, then remembered that he'd fired her. It didn't matter; he could get the copies of the report himself and place them in the conference room for the board. He was sure that Waylon would hire a great staff and get a personal assistant whom he could trust.

“Wait,” he mumbled. “Why am I even concerned about what happens here now? I left the company in good hands and my future is with Crystal.” Douglas returned to his office and began packing his personal belongings. When he picked up a picture of him and his father, he stared at it and wondered why his father had been such a bitter man.

“If you would've known real love, you wouldn't have had time to scheme and try to ruin people's lives,” he said, then tossed the picture in the box with his other belongings. Glancing at his father's diary, Douglas toyed with the idea of tossing it in the trash. Did he want to know what had been going on in his father's mind? There'd been a reason why he'd put off reading the diary. Now that he wasn't the CEO of Welco, did it matter what his father had planned? Did he want to know how his father felt about him? Was Clive telling the truth when he said that his father was disappointed in him?

Sighing, Douglas tossed the book in the box with his other belongings. One day, he would crack it open and read it. It wasn't going to be today.

Once he was certain that he had all of his personal belongings packed away, he left a note on the computer with the password to log on and for the protected files that he'd saved on the hard drive. He gave his corner office one last look, turned off the lights, and headed out the door. He couldn't wait to wrap his arms around his lady. Then he remembered what her father said about the roses, so he returned to his office and grabbed a pair of scissors from his desk and then left.

After dropping his things off at his place, taking a quick shower and changing into a pair of dark blue jeans and a white T-shirt, Douglas headed to the farm. Before going to the cottage, he headed for the rose garden and cut a dozen pink roses. Douglas wished that he'd brought a vase to place the flowers in. Then he remembered the newspaper he had in the car. He dashed to his truck and grabbed a section of the paper and wrapped the flowers. Finally he headed to the cottage.

Crystal had been sure she heard Douglas's truck pull into the driveway, but what was keeping him? She stood and crossed over to the door just as Douglas arrived.

“There you are,” she said with a smile when she opened the door and noticed the crudely wrapped but beautiful roses in his hands. “How did you know?”

“I had a little help from your dad. You planted the bush when you were a little girl. And guess what? You and that rosebush both grew up to be beautiful.”

“Sweet, but cornier than our dinner,” she quipped as she took the roses from his hand. “Let me put these in water.”

Douglas pressed her against the wall. “Not yet. I've been wanting to do this all day.” He captured her mouth in a hot and randy kiss that turned her knees to jelly. Dropping the flowers to the floor, Crystal wrapped her arms around his neck and lost herself in the sweetness of his kiss. Douglas slipped his hands underneath her dress and immediately felt her hot wetness on his fingertips.

Pulling back from her kiss, Douglas smirked. “I see you have been waiting for me,” he said as he stroked her damp folds of flesh until he found her throbbing bud. Crystal moaned as his fingers skillfully played her body as if it was a saxophone. Each touch elicited a different note, a different moan, a louder cry that was a sensual melody to his ears. Slipping his finger out, Douglas lifted her dress higher, then dropped to his knees, kissing every spot he'd touched with his finger. When his tongue lashed her clitoris, Crystal howled in delight and turned to hot liquid melting into Douglas's kiss. He lifted her hips closer to his mouth until he was filled with the essence of her desire. Douglas throbbed and yearned to be inside her hot and wet valley.

“Let's try out that little bed back there,” he moaned as he pulled back from her. “I need you.”

The couple dashed into the bedroom, Douglas holding on to Crystal as if he never wanted to let her go. She ran her hand across his chest. “I like you in a T-shirt,” she said. “But I'm going to love to see it on the floor.” She clawed at the shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside. He laid her on the bed and peeled off her dress. Her naked body against the lace was innocent and erotic at the same time, and Douglas was brick hard as he kicked out of shoes, jeans, and boxers.

Crystal inched to the edge of the bed and took his dangling erection in her hands, slowly stroking him. Leaning forward, she took the length of him into her mouth, sucking and licking him until Douglas felt an explosion brewing in the pit of his stomach.

“You win, you win,” he exclaimed as he pulled back from her hot mouth. Smiling, with a devilish gleam in her eyes, Crystal stroked his thigh, then wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Just what did I win?” she asked.

Douglas looked down at his crotch. “You got me all night,” he replied as she eased back on the bed, giving him room to join her. Crystal couldn't help but wonder if this would last. What would happen when reality set in? Would he be a part of the Starlight girls' lives? Could he find satisfaction tilling the land to plant seeds and watering rosebushes? Would he miss the life that he gave up just for her?

“You got quiet and still on me,” he said as he drew her into his arms. “What's wrong?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. “Nothing's wrong,” Crystal covered.

Douglas traced her full lips with his finger as she slowly ground against him. He wanted to bury himself inside her and stay there forever. He wanted to fill her with his seed and watch her grow with his child. But he couldn't do that until she was finally his wife.