Whatever the Price (16 page)

Nineteen

“I
can’t believe the hearing is tomorrow,” Charlotte said, propping her feet up and rubbing her swollen belly. “Lily will be officially ours.” Holding the phone between her ear and her shoulder, she smiled as she watched Lily playing on the floor with her set of colorful blocks.

Already three months had passed since Anthony had begged her to help. And now here they were, on the road to a happier marriage with two babies.

“I can’t leave New York until tomorrow morning, so I’ll have to meet you at the courthouse,” Anthony told her. “I have a meeting with Bronson and a couple of the actors and their agents before I can leave. We’re just finalizing everything. Looks like the project is going just as we all hoped. Olivia is really anxious to get started.”

Charlotte swallowed the niggling of fear that crept up at this turn in the conversation: he was talking movies and not about gaining permanent guardianship of his niece tomorrow.

“I felt the baby move today,” she told him. “At least I think that’s what it was. The feeling was the same as the description in my pregnancy books.”

“That’s great, Charlie. Listen, I need to run. We’re on our way out the door for dinner. I’ll meet you at the courthouse tomorrow. Love you, babe.”

And then he was gone.

Charlotte stared at the handset, unsure of what to think. She knew he was excited about this film, the one he’d waited for for so long. But at the same time, they’d gone to a few therapy sessions, they’d had a breakthrough in Tahoe and the night of the Children’s Hospital wing dedication, and she’d thought they were really on the right path.

But in the week he’d been in New York, he’d only called twice to check in. In his defense, she knew he’d be busy. This was the biggest film he or Bronson had ever done, and because it was depicting their mother, they were pulling out all the stops to make this the greatest production.

Lily let out a squeal and knocked over her blocks, clapping at the colorful mess she’d created.

Charlotte joined Lily on the floor and started the rebuilding game so Lily could knock them down again.

“I feel like you’re ours already,” she told Lily. “Tomorrow it’s official. You’re going to be the best big sister.”

Lily stared up at her, chewing on a red block, drool covering her fingers as she sucked.

“I think you’re getting some teeth.”

Charlotte tried to concentrate on the blocks, on the fact that in less than twenty-four hours Lily would be theirs legally, and that in five months they would welcome another baby.

But it was impossible to block out the worry that had settled in. She only hoped that when Anthony returned home tomorrow, they would continue this upward climb together.

For the past few months they’d grown stronger together and had constructed a firmer foundation for their marriage. The stability she’d been missing for most of her life had been slowly worked in, and Anthony was definitely the reason. He’d been so attentive, so eager to meet the needs of “his girls,” as he called them. She’d seen him ask his assistant to take more control over his emails and phone calls so he could concentrate more on family life.

But now that he was back into project mode, would this last?

She would be able to tell tomorrow when she saw him at the courthouse. She hated they couldn’t arrive together, but they would enter the courtroom together, putting up a united front for Lily.

“That’s right.” She leaned over and kissed Lily on the head. “Uncle Anthony and I are going to be there for you, Lily Bug. No matter what.”

* * *

“What the hell do you mean we have to reroute?”

Anthony knew that if his pilot rerouted around the storm that had settled over much of the Midwest, he’d never make it to the hearing in time.

Rerouting wasn’t even an option as far as he was concerned.

“Sir, I tried to explain when we were leaving New York that there was a terrible windstorm right in our flight path.”

Dammit. Anthony slapped his seat and rose to pace the luxury cabin. Yes, his pilot had told him they needed to reroute initially, but Anthony had forced him to fly on the scheduled route.

“Can we keep going and get above the storm?” Anthony asked, hopeful.

No way could he miss this court hearing. This had to be done together, not for legal reasons, but for the principle. He and Charlotte needed to be united for Lily and he wanted to be there for this monumental day in their family life. The day Lily became legally and officially theirs. He’d promised Charlotte he wouldn’t let work keep him from this hearing, and he couldn’t let her down. Not when they were finally in a good place again.

“I can try to keep on course, sir,” his pilot said from the entry to the cockpit. “But you’ll need to stay seated and fasten your seat belt. It could get bumpy and I can’t make any guarantees.”

Anthony nodded. “Do what you can.”

He didn’t want to risk their safety, but, if at all possible, he wanted them to keep going. Mother Nature was fickle and she changed so often. This storm could vanish or move in another direction.

Anthony had known about the unfavorable weather before takeoff, but he hadn’t called Charlotte to tell her about a possible delay for two reasons: one, it was so early in L.A. when he’d departed that he didn’t want to wake her, and, two, he didn’t want to unnecessarily upset her if he could indeed arrive on time.

He took his seat once again, tightening his belt and praying they would arrive safely and on time in L.A. He had to make that court hearing. Years of letdowns had nearly murdered their marriage. How would she react if he wasn’t there by her side on one of the most important days of their life?

* * *

“The judge is ready for you in his chambers, Mrs. Price.”

Charlotte glanced toward the doorway once again, and once again it was still empty. Anthony wasn’t showing.

A sick feeling came over her. He’d gotten caught up with his career. The old Charlotte wouldn’t have been surprised, but the new Charlotte—the one who’d given the new Anthony the benefit of the doubt—was shocked. She hated herself for placing so much stock in how well he seemed to be adjusting to being the perfect family man. More than likely he’d lost track of time with his morning meeting and had taken off late…that is, if he’d left at all.

He hadn’t even called her cell to tell her, and when she’d tried to reach him, it had gone straight to voice mail.

“Mrs. Price?” the clerk called again. “If you’re ready.”

Charlotte pasted on a smile, shifted Lily on her hip and shouldered the diaper bag. “Yes, we’re ready.”

This was not at all how she’d pictured this day going. As Charlotte entered the judge’s chambers, she couldn’t believe she was doing this alone. They’d come so far to have this backslide.

But right now she would not feel sorry for herself that once again she was being pushed aside for business. She would concentrate on Lily—this sweet, precious bundle who needed a good life, a good, stable home. And Charlotte vowed, no matter what, she would provide that.

In no time at all, the judge declared Lily legally the dependent of Anthony and Charlotte. For such a monumental moment, it was simple and quick.

Charlotte had originally had images of the three of them going out for a celebratory lunch.

“Looks like it’s just me and you,” she told Lily as she descended the courthouse steps. She only hoped that wouldn’t be the mantra for the rest of Lily’s life.

Charlotte wasn’t in much of a mood to go out for lunch, so she decided to just head home and put Lily down for her afternoon nap. Maybe Anthony would show up at the house later…maybe not.

Once she strapped Lily in her car seat, Charlotte checked her phone once again for missed calls. Nothing. Not even a text.

Resisting the urge to throw the phone and kick her tires, she slid behind the wheel and counted to ten. Then she counted backward. But it was when she looked into the mirror and saw a smiling, happy child that she realized that she had to be strong. There was a baby depending on her, and another baby who would soon need her strength, too.

“I will not let myself get worked up again,” she whispered as she started the car. “I’ve known all along that this could happen.”

She just hated that stupid saying that kept playing in her head.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

* * *

Anthony didn’t even bother with his luggage in the car. He didn’t care about anything but getting inside to see Charlotte and Lily. God, he was sick just thinking of everything that had likely raced through her head in the hours since they were scheduled to meet at the courthouse.

Once his plane had finally landed in L.A., he’d tried calling her cell, only to get voice mail. More than likely she’d looked right at the screen and thrown the phone across the room.

But if she only knew what he’d gone through to get back to her, she’d know the circumstances were beyond his control.

Damn Mother Nature and lack of cell towers in no-name cornfields in whatever the hell state his plane had had to make an emergency landing.

Anthony burst through the front door and immediately went up the stairs toward the nursery. Charlotte was probably giving Lily her nighttime bath.

Sure enough, at the top of the stairs he heard squeals coming from the bath. His heart clenched. This is what he would be coming home to every day. How could he not count his blessings? Laughter, love, happiness.

If he could just convince Charlotte that he had a legitimate reason for being late—six hours late to be exact—they could have it all.

But would she understand? Granted, Mother Nature had certainly caused the delay, but at the same time, if he hadn’t been away on business, he would’ve been at that court hearing with no problem.

He made enough noise in the hall to alert her to his presence. He didn’t want to add fear on top of what was sure to be anger.

As he rounded the corner of the bath, he smiled when he saw Charlotte wrap Lily in a pink hooded princess towel with the hood as a big terry-cloth tiara.

She turned, looked straight into his eyes and without a word, went back to towel-drying Lily.

“I’m sorry,” he said, not bothering with excuses. “I know you’re sick of those words, but it couldn’t be helped.”

Charlotte picked up a towel-wrapped Lily and nudged past him. “Also words I’m tired of hearing.”

Well, at least she was speaking to him. He feared he’d come home to complete silence. He followed her into the nursery and leaned against the doorjamb.

“I’m getting her ready for bed,” Charlotte said without turning to look at him. “I’m also not going to argue in front of her. If you have something to say, it can wait.”

Anthony didn’t move, didn’t say a word, he merely stood in the doorway watching what had become the nightly ritual of putting lotion on Lily’s porcelain skin and sliding her into a soft sleeper.

“I’ll go make the bottle,” he offered.

Charlotte zipped up the pajamas. “I already made it and brought it up before the bath.”

Picking up the baby and kissing her on the nose, Charlotte moved across the room, flicked on the soft, soothing lullaby and picked up the bottle from the cribside table. Anthony thought he’d watch her rock Lily to sleep and enjoy listening to her hum along with the gentle music, but instead Charlotte moved to the door and slowly closed it, forcing him to back out into the hall.

Okay. Better than a slap in the face and nothing less than he deserved.

Because he knew she’d be a while, probably out of spite more than how long it took for Lily to fall asleep, he went downstairs and retrieved his bags from the car.

After he put the bags in their bedroom, he went to grab a shower. He’d been traveling all day and had been stuck in some godforsaken field in Kansas or wherever the hell it was. He’d opted to wait out the storm by checking every fifteen seconds for a cell signal. He should’ve been smart enough to stay behind like Bronson and wait out the bad weather.

Frustrated, angry and more than worried that Charlotte wouldn’t understand, Anthony hurried through his shower and was just stepping back into the bedroom fisting a towel in his hand when Charlotte came in.

“I hope you don’t think that’s going to distract me,” she told him, her eyes raking down to his bare chest then back up.

“No, I thought you’d take longer,” he answered honestly. “How was the court hearing?”

“The one you missed earlier today?” she asked with a sweet smile on her face. “Oh, it was lonely, embarrassing, and I had to make up excuses as to why one of the guardians couldn’t make it. Simply saying you were too selfish wouldn’t have looked good, so I explained that you were out of town on business. I even painted lies all around you by saying how you’re the poster child for a family man and that you’re devoted to your work so we can have all the nice things that Lily will need as well as loving people who adore her.”

Still clutching his towel, Anthony remained rooted to the plush carpet. “I’m sorry you felt you had to lie for me. I’m even more sorry you were alone and embarrassed.”

With one hand on her swollen belly, Charlotte swiped away a tear with the other hand. “Being sorry is the story of our marriage, Anthony. You don’t know how I thought you’d changed, how I’d hoped and prayed. Before you left on this trip, I worried once you started this filming cycle again, that your niece and your pregnant wife would be brushed aside for the new and exciting. And I was right.”

He took a step forward. “Charlie—”

“No,” she said, holding up a hand. “Don’t say another word. I had a terrible feeling you’d push me to the bottom of the list, but to do it to two innocent children is intolerable.”

Fear, dread and just plain guilt squeezed his chest. “I did everything I could to get back here.”

“Really?” Sarcasm dripped from her voice as she moved over to the bed and sat on the edge. Lacing her hands around her slightly swollen stomach, she added, “And was this before or after you spent the day with A-list actors, their agents and your brother?”

“After,” he said through gritted teeth. “I left on time, as I told you I was going to. Please, hear me out before deciding that I’m the scum of the earth and not worthy.”