On The Dotted Line (8 page)

“So
in the course of twenty-four hours you took on a wife, her family and a pet?” His
father exhaled.

“Yes,
and right on time for my birthday.” Randolph turned and once more put his hand
on the small of her back. “I will show my new wife to our wing now.”

“Nan?”
In search of anything normal, Willow held her hand out.

“I
will make sure Miss Nanette is settled upstairs.” His father waved them away. “Right
after I fix your mother.”

“Go,
Chiquita.” Nan gave her a wink.

She
allowed Randolph to guide her away.

“We
have a dog?” Randolph leaned over. “Is that even a dog? It looks more like a cotton
ball.”

“Yes,
he’s a dog.” She cuddled Jeb to her chest. Everyone said the same thing about
Jeb. “He thinks he’s big, don’t call him a cotton ball.”

“He
needs to look at the evidence. It’s stacked against him.” He chuckled.

No
truer words were ever spoken. She peeked back at their stunned family. Apparently
she wasn’t the only person blindsided and something told her there was more to
come.

* * * *

Second,
third and fourth thoughts went through Randolph’s mind after he settled Willow
in his wing and asked her to change for dinner. What other costume would his
new spouse conjure? What other animals might appear? He walked over to the bar
and poured himself a scotch, swigging it down without taking the time to bother
with ice or anything else. He welcomed the burn.

“If
you’re going to do shots, go get your mother’s vodka out of the freezer.” His
father joined him, put ice in both their glasses and poured them each some of
the high-priced elixir. He lifted the glass in a mock cheers motion and took a
sip. “You pulled it off in the eleventh hour. Kudos, though until you walked in
the door I thought you were finally showing your face after you didn’t finish
your last assignment.”

Randolph
narrowed his eyes at the glass and gulped it down.

His
father chuckled and took a seat. “So, where did you find her? Is she the fun
one you kept on the side when Stephanie became too boring?”

“You
are a pig.” He eyed the decanter once more, but put his glass down. Something
told him he needed some of his wits about him to get through the rest of the
evening.

“Maybe
she is merely a punishment to your mother and me. I mean you practically live
in squalor and we never gave you anything.” Though the man’s words rolled off
his tongue as smooth as the scotch, the clink of the ice in the glass betrayed
his father’s shaking hand.

“I
have a task list longer than our staircase that outlines everything you ever
gave me.” Since his father would never allow him to forget his contract, he
would return the favor.

“Without
that piece of paper, you wouldn’t be half the man you are today.”

“How
will you ever know what I would have been?” Randolph backed up to glance into
the foyer in search of the newest additions to the family.

“I
saved you from being a starving artist.” His father put the glass down on the
side table and ran his finger along the rim. “Art was never your forte.”

Heat
encompassed him, shooting up from his feet and overtaking the rest of his body.
He balled his fist into a hand.

“I
need to meet with you after dinner on the Hartford investments.”

“Now
those are some people who could definitely use some art in their life.” He
tilted his head from left to right, the popping of his vertebrate ringing in
his ears. His father gave new meaning to the term pain in the neck.

“It’s
a waste of time.”

Maybe
he needed to hand the man a shovel to take more digs at him. “Leave it, I am in
the home stretch and you can’t stand it.”

“So,
what did happen? Did Stephanie finally come to her senses and walk because you
wouldn’t give her a real wedding to spite me and your mother?”

“Who
said she left me?” He glanced over his shoulder at the man.

“If
that weren’t the case, I have a feeling you would have flaunted your more
interesting selection for us much sooner.”

Before
countering his father’s argument, he turned back to find Nan, the lint ball and
Willow coming down the stairs. Gone was the gypsy in a headband with layered skirts
and a bejeweled belt, and in her place entered a woman in a short lace peach
flowing baby-doll dress, some vintage jewelry and her hair pulled back showing
off her features. One thing was certain, no matter the circumstances, his wife
was a beauty. “Excuse me.”

The
legs that were wrapped around him in the hotel were on full display and the
heat from his anger morphed into something much more pleasant. Especially once
he remembered she wore nothing under the dress. Maybe they could put their miscommunications
of the day behind them and have a repeat performance of Las Vegas.

Trying
not to smile at the animal trundling down the stairs, he stepped into the foyer
and did as he had been taught since he was old enough to stand, offered Willow
his arm. “Good evening.”

Her
focus darted between his face and his arm, but she didn’t move.

Fine,
they had their fair share of ups and downs today, mostly downs.

Rather
than call attention to her non-action he tried a different tactic. “Miss Nanette,
may I say you look exceptionally lovely this evening?” He held his hand out to
assist her down the last two stairs. Though she never changed from the purple
floral dress, she cleaned up and put a flower in her hair. Apparently the woman
liked flowers.

Nan
took the offering, got to the bottom of the stairs, but stopped short in front of
him and shook her head.

“Is
something the matter?” He gave her a smile.

She
stood on her tiptoes and took his chin in her hand. “You are much deeper than
your looks, remember that and be genuine.” With her words out, she let go.

“Thank
you?” Apparently living with Nan would be like living with a giant, floral
fortune cookie.

“Oh,
good, there everyone is, even the dog.” His mother entered the room in an
emerald green cocktail dress and backed up at the sight of the animal. “Does he
need anything special?”

“I
will make his dinner after we eat.” Nan whistled, and the dog ran over to her
and sat down.

“Look
how he listens.” His mother pressed her hand to her chest and forced her lips
into a smile. “I set up dinner in the formal dining room and thought we could
have a little celebration for Dolph’s birthday since we missed it.”

“It
was also my wedding day, mother.” He reminded her.

“Of
course, Dolph.” Her smile stiffened. “I keep forgetting your wedding was
yesterday.”

“Not
me.” Willow came up beside him and at last took his proffered arm. In fact, she
absolutely tangled their appendages together. She pressed her body to his side
and stared up at him. “We didn’t need anyone else to help us celebrate
yesterday, or today.”

Not
sure if he wanted to crack up or sling her over his shoulder and haul her
upstairs to a private celebration, he turned to her. Those light blue eyes sparkled
with mischief and mayhem. His naughty wife could be bad when she wanted.

“Is
your neck hurting you?” Her sparkle subsided.

“A
little.” How did she know?

She
curled her arm around his neck and gave him a few squeezes somehow hitting the
exact spot he hurt.

“That’s
perfect.” Her fingers worked wonders and it was all he could do not to close
his eyes.

“Oh,
you’re tight.” She continued her massage.

He
couldn’t help but widen his eyes, at what sounded similar to something he
moaned the previous night.

A
slow smile took over her face.

Maybe
they were done fighting. A jolt went through his body along with a flash of their
wedding night.

“Why
don’t we all go sit down?” His mother let out a shaky laugh.

“Shall
we?” With Willow still firmly attached to his side, he took Nan’s arm and led them
into the dining room.

Willow
tightened her grip on him the moment they stepped inside. Done in dark woods to
match the majority of the house and with a table that could easily sit twenty,
the dining room was impressive indeed.

Apparently,
his mother felt the need to put on airs for the two people who wouldn’t be
easily smitten by their ostentatious display of wares, but instead overwhelmed.
She had the staff lay out their best china, linens and crystal.

With
his drink still in hand, his father entered from the opposite side of the room
and took his position at the head of the table.

His
mother took her place beside him, and he guided Willow to their spots. Nan let
go of him and took a seat by his mother. The five of them looked ridiculous
scrunched together at one end of the table.

“Isn’t
this room a bit huge for only us?” His father looked around as if he expected a
parade of people to join them.

“I
wanted to have our dinner in here. Stephanie always loved this room.” His
mother motioned for the staff to begin serving and sighed. “I thought Willow
would like it as well.”

The
first time his mother mentioned her, the chaos of his mother and the dog
blunted any more discussion of the matter. His throat dried out. A staff member
came around the table and poured him some water. More than once Willow asked if
there was anything she needed to know and told him not to blindside her.

Willow
lifted her hand.

He
needed a diversion as good as the dog and spied the dish of lemon wedges. Not
caring about his next move, he did the unthinkable and leaned way over the
table to retrieve it. “Willow.”

“Randolph,
what are you doing? Sit down.” His mother fanned herself.

“I
thought Willow might like some lemon with her water.” He practically fell back
into his chair.

“Then
someone will bring it around.”

“I
wanted to give it to her.” He held out the dish to her and graced her with a
smile. “Willow, did I tell you that our grounds have several lemon trees, as
well as lime, orange, peach, nectarine, apple and avocado?”

“Since
when did you go out on the grounds?” His father grunted.

“Willow
loves nature.” He kept the dish out. “We also plant herbs, which I will show
you after dinner, if you like.”

“We
do?” His mother shook her head.

He
decided not to acknowledge the woman. She might continue speaking, which could mean
Stephanie’s name would bubble back up to the surface after his successful
redirect. “Willow, would you like a wedge of lemon with your water?”

She
took the little tongs and selected a slice. “What I would really like to know
is who is Stephanie?”

“Someone
I used to know.” He didn’t expect her to be that focused and he answered fast,
too fast.

Rather
than continuing to deal with him, she looked across the table at his mother,
the hub of all gossip and things women wanted to know.

Still,
he couldn’t give up without trying every last tactic. Once more he stood up. “Mother,
would you like a slice of lemon?” He thrust the dish toward her. “It’s from our
tree.”

“Sit
down.” She furrowed her brow and shooed him away.

He
sat. Silence encompassed the room and he drank down his plain water without a
lemon wedge.

Luck
on his side, the staff entered with the salad and wine. Hopefully the arrival
of glazed pecans and blue cheese would get everyone talking about vinaigrette.

“My
son is the one who loves the lemon. Will you please bring this to him?” She
lifted the dish to hand it to one of the staff. “Stephanie gave this to us that
one Christmas we didn’t go back east.”

He
put his arm around the back of Willow’s chair. “We will be going back east this
holiday.”

“Not
unless someone tells me who Stephanie is,” she growled.

“Stephanie
was Dolph’s fiancée.” His mother spoke as if she were spewing gossip at one of
her lunches. “They had been together off and on since high school. I thought we
were going to have a huge wedding, but Dolph would never set a date.”

His
appetite completely vanished and a glance out of the corner of his eye told him
Willow’s did as well. Her perfectly pale complexion morphed into something more
sallow. The revelation of the identity of Stephanie might qualify as one of
those blindsiding items. Willow had asked about the woman he was supposed to
marry, but he made it sound as if it were only a passing fling.

“Shame
on Dolph. He could have had a wonderful extravaganza.” Willow snapped her
fingers. The little fur ball ran over to her and she picked him up. She picked
a carrot off her plate with her fingers, put it between her teeth, and bent
down to the dog. Her pet took the carrot right from her lips and chomped away.