The Best of June (12 page)

“What does it look like? An agreement that you have to honor. If you know the meaning of the word.”

“Are you trying to marry me off to some woman I don’t even know?”

“Ha! You don’t even know?”

“Henry, please. Have a seat. Richard, if you would just explain everything without screaming, maybe your son would understand what this is about.”

Henry looked at his mother. Everything about her spoke money, but he knew how lonely and miserable she was. He couldn’t understand how someone could take emotional beatings in exchange for wealth. “Are you agreeing with this, Mom?”

“I am, sweetheart. But you need to hear everything first and you’ll understand.”

Henry sat on the couch then continued reading the contract. Marriage with Juniper Greenwald until the baby was born? “The woman’s pregnant?”

“Yes,” Richard snapped. “And you are the father.”

“The hell I am. I’m not stupid, Dad.”

“Neither are the Greenwalds. They threatened to ruin us. Us!”

Ah. So that was it, then. Someone had threatened to bring down the Colchester name so Dad was going crazy. “Wait, wait. Dad, this woman came to you and claimed that I fathered her baby and you believe her? Why? This isn’t the first time someone has tried to pin me with this kind of a fucked-up accusation.”

“The woman didn’t come here. Her parents did. They don’t want your money or ours. All they want is your name until the baby is born.”

“Bullshit. Sounds like an MO to me.”

“I’d know if it was! I’ve dealt with enough people from all walks of life to know if they are legit or not. This Greenwald couple are legit. I’ve made inquiries. The only record I could find about him was his work record. He and I have met before. He fell asleep driving the Metro bus and hit my limo.”

Henry saw his mom look away, but not before she rolled her eyes. He’d heard about the accident from Dad’s limo driver himself. The driver hadn’t fallen asleep at all. Dad’s lawyer had just made that up to cover his own driver’s fault for not paying attention while driving.

“The driver that you got fired from Metro. This is him?” He waved the paper in the air.

“Yes, that’s him. That ungrateful ass. I should have let him go to jail.”

Dad had shut the case right away to avoid investigation. He hadn’t wanted the media to know the truth. Henry knew that. Dad was a smart man. He could use the accident to make it look like the Greenwalds were trying to get even with him, but he most likely didn’t want to open that case again. Could it be that his dad was avoiding the possibility the Greenwalds might talk about it and he was now bending to this contract? “What else have you learned about these people?”

“Before the accident, he had a perfect driving record, paid their taxes. The mother is a leader in the community church. They have one credit card with just three hundred dollars and fifty-five cents balance, and they live on a sixty-five thousand a year income. Fucking blue-collar shithead.”

“Do you think he’s trying to get even with you for costing him his job?”

“I think that’s the underlying agenda,” Colchester said with irritation. “But they insisted the accident has nothing to do with this. In fact, they fucking insulted me by saying that their skin crawled just by being here. That…that woman called me a corrupt judge!”

Henry couldn’t believe it. A couple with no money, no connections and no power had stood up to his dad. Didn’t they understand that Richard Colchester could give them hell, take everything away and leave them with nothing? “I assume you threatened them.”

“I could frame them, make them look like monsters, Henry. But I don’t want to take a chance.” Colchester smacked his palm on the table, making his wife jump. “I’ve been in this business a long enough time to know if I’m being lied to. I couldn’t find anything wrong with these people. If they were hillbillies, I could probably make them look bad, but these people are different. They don’t want money or any support from you before or after the baby is born. What they want is you. At least until the chit delivers her baby.”

“Then what?”

“Then you can go to hell. You can divorce the woman.”

“What?”

“Yes. But after that, they don’t want you to contact them. They just want you to disappear from the baby’s life. Read the fucking contract. Why do you think they would ask for that kind of deal?”

“Secure their grandbaby’s future so he or she wouldn’t have to worry about school or something. I don’t know!”

“Because they don’t want people talking smack about their granddaughter or grandson. They don’t want the word bastard attached to their grandkid’s name.”

“Dad—”

“You listen to me, Henry. I worked so fucking hard to get where I am today. I will not let a retired bus driver ruin me.”

“If I divorce her, wouldn’t that ruin you anyway?”

“No. You and the girl will have an amicable divorce and will remain friends.”

“You’ve got this all planned, huh?”

“Not me. Greenwald’s idea.”

“God, Dad. I can’t marry some chick I don’t even know.”

“You obviously know something about her. You got her pregnant.”

Henry couldn’t believe it. His dad was actually bending to someone’s dictate. “Do you have this woman’s name?”

“The Greenwalds called her June. Read the fucking contract.”

“June?” Henry felt his heart pound hard against his chest. He scanned the paper really fast. “Juniper. Juniper Ivy Greenwald.”

Juniper. The hell? Juniper…June? Holy mother fucking God.

Henry shut his eyes, trying to digest what was going on.
No. No. Not June. She wouldn’t do this.
“But she said… No fucking way.”

“What? That she got her tubes tied? She was on the pill? Don’t tell me you fell for that old trick.”

Henry couldn’t believe it. All this time he’d been wondering what she’d been doing, if she went from one bed to the next. If she was fine. He’d been wishing to see her again. He’d had dreams about them cocooned in a cabin somewhere having a marvelous time. She’d even penetrated his mind while he’d been making love with Stacey. He’d spent so many nights staring at the ceiling, thinking about her, reliving their nights together and worrying that she was getting abused or being used miserably. And now this?

I
got her pregnant? Jesus Christ!
What is this? Twilight Zone?

Fuck! She’d told him she was on the pill. Henry raked his hair with his fingers. Had she lied on purpose so she would get pregnant and trap him into marriage? But what the fuck was this contract bullshit? Un-fucking-believable.

“She didn’t come with her parents?”

“No. It was her parents’ idea that you and June marry.”

“Darling, June didn’t even want you to know that she’s carrying your baby.”

My baby?
Henry stared at his mother. “Mom, the baby could be someone else’s.”

“Oh, Henry. You’ve always been an advocate of those who are less fortunate than we are. Talk to the Greenwalds first, dear, before you judge.”

Henry noticed his mom avoided looking at his dad while she spoke.

Fuckin’ A. June’s pregnant.

How did anyone take this kind of news? He’d skipped using a rubber when he was with June because she said it was safe.

Juniper Ivy Greenwald.

Remembering the woman he had spent three wonderful nights with, he couldn’t imagine her doing something like this. She seemed straightforward, real, easy to be with and down to earth. He’d seen sadness in her, too, when she shared her wish of knowing what her future would be. And dreams… She spoke of dreams every girl dreamed of—a house with a picket fence, a husband who would love her to death and she him and of children.

If getting pregnant was her idea of how to make her dream come true, then she must be a stupid woman. He’d told her his plans, including his plan to get married after his business was already stable. Damn it.

He’d been wondering why a sweet woman like her would give herself to a stranger. Now, it seemed, he just found the answer. She’d wanted a smooth ride. Damn fuck! She’d tricked him.

“I have to go.”

“Not until you have agreed to this contract. We have only until the end of the day to decide.”

“Then what? They’ll go to the police?” June hadn’t been a virgin when he took her. Maybe she’d slept with someone else. It could be that she was already pregnant when he’d slept with her. “Did you tell the parents you want a DNA test?

“Greenwald threatened to have a DNA test run to make me believe that the baby is yours. They even asked for the documents to be notarized. They are not afraid to prove that you are the father, Henry. Like I said, they don’t want money. It would have been easier to handle them if they’d just demanded that. But no, they want a man to stand beside their daughter at the altar.”

“Until the baby is born. Then I can divorce her,” Henry repeated. “But what am I going to do while I’m married to her?”

“Go fuck someone else if that’s what you want. I don’t give a damn,” Richard said bluntly. “They don’t want anything from you except your name. So, I highly doubt the Greenwalds will care whether you fuck someone else either.”

“Did you say June doesn’t know her parents came here?”

Richard snorted. “That’s what they said. Who knows what those dirtbags are really thinking. Well, you fell for June’s tricks. Just marry her. Divorce her after the baby’s born. Then leave her. No communication afterward is part of the contract. We’ll agree to that condition.”

“No communication.”

“Yes. They don’t want us to be involved with the baby. Just as well. I hate the Greenwalds, and I don’t want to have anything else to do with them.”

“Richard, please. Think about this.”

Henry looked at his mother. For some reason, she only showed any reactions when they mentioned the word divorce and baby. She wanted the baby.

“Dad, this is beyond ridiculous. Let me try talking to the Greenwalds. Maybe—”

“I already tried. Look, Henry. The Greenwalds are trying to protect their daughter and the baby. I am trying to protect our name, which you are bent on ruining. This is the result of your callousness. You face it.”

“What made them think that marriage with me would save their daughter’s reputation?”

“Of course it would. She’s pregnant and there is a father. You.”

“I’m not even sure about that.”

“You know what? Who the fuck cares? All you have to do is wait six months. That’s not bad. We’ll have a press release stating that you two got swept away or some crap, got married right away but it didn’t work and you will remain friends.”

Henry ran his fingers through his hair. Damn. “This is fucked up. Let me talk to June. Do you have their address?”

“Goddamn you. You
will
marry this girl and you
will
abide by the contract. The Greenwalds are not asking for eternal marriage. Once the marriage is over, it’ll be as if it never happened. It’ll be dissolved. Period.”

“Let me get this straight. The Greenwalds wants me to marry their daughter. That’s it. They don’t want anything else.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you find that strange, Dad? What kind of a demand is that?”

“A kind that only morons would ask for.”

“If I marry June, they’ll get what they want—whatever it is they think they’ll get from this. What about me?”

Richard stared at Henry. Muscles in his jaw moved as if he was grinding his teeth. With his piercing gaze, Richard snapped at Henry, “Agree with the contract. Marry Juniper then divorce her. You’ll have half of your inheritance now. You can start your ridiculous idea of building your own shipping company. After the divorce, you get the other half. Break the contract and you’ll wish you were never born. I’ll make sure no sane person will want to be associated with you and your company. I hate the Greenwalds for coming here and wiping shit on my table. For six months, the chit can carry your name. After that, they had better not cross our paths again.”

Inheritance in exchange for his signature. Fuck, he’d bet Dad would give him everything if he told him he’d run for a city office. Anything that would give his name exposure. “You’ll give me half of my inheritance now?”

“Yes. Just don’t fuck up this world that I’ve built for you and your mother.”

Henry leaned back in his chair. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing—marriage to a woman he’d been dreaming about and who had deceived him in exchange for his inheritance? Man, he didn’t know whether this was luck or some weird fate shit.

“How is this marriage supposed keep our name in pristine condition? Everyone knows I’m dating Stacey. Have you forgotten? There is even a gossip swirling around that I’ll propose soon.”

“Let me handle the publicity. I’ll make sure it’ll make you look like a saint. You fell in love with a simple woman because that’s the kind of man you are. You love the little people. I’m sure a lot of people will think you’re having a Cinderella wedding, except she won’t have a happy ending, because when the marriage is over, I’ll make sure it’s not our name that will hit the shithole. Believe me, Henry. No one can come here and threaten me without facing the consequences. The Greenwalds will pay. It sickens me that I have to wait six months, but I will. When I’m done with the Greenwalds, they won’t have a roof over their heads or food to eat. I fucking hate them.”

“They are just trying to protect their daughter the same way you’re trying to protect this family.”

“Now you’re changing your tune. When did you become a liberal?”

When did you become such an asshole?

“I’ll marry June, but I need my inheritance now.”

“You’ll get it on your wedding day.”

God damn it.

“Henry, Richard. Are you forgetting something? An innocent life is involved. Your baby, Henry.”

Henry looked at his mom. She was practically wringing her fan. He’d never seen her without it. “Mom, there is a possibility that I’m not even the father.”

“Did you use protection?” Colchester asked.

“No, but—”

“Jesus Christ!” Colchester yelled. “What are you, sixteen?”

“Dad, she told me it was safe.” Even to his own ears, he sounded like an idiot.