Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
At ten the next morning, now seated nervously across the breakfast table from one politely skeptical not-so-young personal secretary, also known as Chase, also known as Sam's son , Lola thought maybe eloping would have been a good idea after all.
"It's not that I'm not happy for you," Chase said. He was a nice-looking man, Lola thought: dark hair going grey, light eyes that wavered toward green when the light was right, and a clean jawline that was currently clenching and unclenching. "It's just…rather sudden from my perspective. I didn't even know Dad had a lost love."
The Dad was important there, and Lola knew it. Last night, Chase had called Sam Mr Todd , keeping their relationship professional. This morning it was Dad , because his concern was for the man who'd raised him, not the one who'd later hired him to keep the family trust and money in line. She nodded, about to speak, when Chase went on.
"I mean, I knew there was some kind of reason you hadn't gotten married." This was to Sam, who sat at her side and looked both embarrassed and apologetic as Chase said, "I even remember the foster agency being worried about that, because they weren't sure a single man was going to offer the kind of nurturing household they thought kids needed. I was about seven when Sam fostered me," he added to Lola, almost defensively. "I remember it pretty well."
"I'm sure you would." She meant it, and must have sounded like she did, because Chase relaxed a little, turning his attention back to Sam.
"But I didn't know you'd…"
"Lost the love of my life?" Sam asked with a sigh. "I didn't like to talk about it. And even if I had… Well, 'lost' does imply 'died,' so this probably would have come as a shock to you anyway."
"Do any of the others know? Tony? Stephanie? Ellen? Are they coming to the wedding , for God's sake?"
"I called them all last night. Tony is picking Stephanie up on the way and Ellen is going to try to catch a morning flight from DC. She said she'd text." Sam made a motion to check his phone, but didn't, and Chase sighed explosively.
"Well, that's something. They're my foster siblings," he told Lola. "The ones who didn't have families to go back to. Dad adopted us all when I turned sixteen."
"Heh." Sam cleared his throat. "What Chase means is, they all discussed it amongst themselves and presented me with the paperwork on his birthday, asking to be adopted. I cried for the rest of the day. It was one of the best days of my life, that and the one when the adoptions were finalized."
Lola swallowed hard herself, through a throat clogged with happy tears. "I'm so glad you all had each other. I'm so glad you made a family. My own daughter is driving out," she added a little hopefully. "So you can meet my family, just like I'll be able to meet yours. Chase…I know this must seem completely insane to you. If it helps I'll be happy to sign a prenup of some kind that denies me any access to Sam's money."
Sam squawked with protest, but Lola elbowed him. "If I wanted money I would have taken what your parents offered and left. So it's not a problem for me. I just don't want you or your siblings to feel like I've swept in to take advantage of your father," she said to Chase.
He studied her a long moment, then made a face. "On one hand, Dad's not easy to take advantage of. On the other, I don't know. Ellen's actually a lawyer and she might insist."
"Well, we have several hours before we're supposed to get married. If she decides that's what's necessary, I'll sign the papers on the way to the altar."
"Lola!" Sam protested again, but she smiled at him.
"I really don't mind, Sam. What I would mind is your children thinking I'm after your money."
"I'm outnumbered on this, aren't I," he muttered.
"Not necessarily," Chase mumbled in return. "Depends on Ellen. I think I believe her. Lola, I mean. I mean, I do believe you, Mrs Brown?—"
"Lola is fine."
"—it's just that this is a lot."
"Imagine how I feel," Sam said almost indignantly. "This time yesterday I didn't even know Lola was still alive!"
"Well, and that's the point, Dad! She's come out of nowhere and the story is romantic and everything, but?—"
"It's not just romantic. She's my mate, Chase. I told you that. I've known since I was eighteen."
Chase's jaw dropped open and he blinked at his father. "Your mate?"
Lola's own jaw had dropped, although she felt a little silly. Sam had mentioned he'd taken in shifter children. Somehow she hadn't quite put it together that that meant Chase must therefore be a shifter.
"Didn't I tell you that last night?" Sam asked incredulously. "I mentioned it to the others. Oh." He groaned. "No, I told so many people yesterday, including Lola, that I just assumed I'd told you, too."
Chase hadn't yet collected his jaw, though his gaze bounced to Lola, then back to Sam. "No, you didn't tell me that! Well, jeez. Ellen's not going to need a prenup, then. Jeez , Dad!"
Sam looked genuinely sheepish, shoulders hunched and his face scrunched up. "I thought I'd mentioned it! I couldn't figure out why you were being so stubborn!"
"Well, I couldn't figure out why you were being so crazy! Sorry," Chase added to Lola, who widened her eyes and waved a hand.
"No, no, that's fine, I get it. I—sorry. Everybody knows about fated mates? All shifters, I mean?"
"Ellen and Tony both found theirs years ago, so I knew it was real, even if Dad and me and Steph never found anybody like that." Chase slid down in his chair like a considerably younger man. "Or me and Steph, I guess. Jeez, Dad!"
"You said that," Sam said fondly. "Can we have breakfast without causing anybody indigestion, now?"
Chase made a spluttering sound of agreement, and Sam, chuckling, raised his voice a bit to call out to the kitchen. A moment later, a young man with a restaurant-style platter came out to dish food out to everyone, leaving Lola to eye the kitchen and shake her head.
She'd known Sam's house had a breakfast bar and that he employed a chef and house staff, but she'd never eaten there before. Having someone standing around waiting for tension to fade so they could bring breakfast out would take some getting used to, Lola thought. Around the first meltingly-good bite of omelette, she said, "For what it's worth, my daughter had more or less the same reaction, except I couldn't tell her about fate and mates and shifters. Parents probably really shouldn't spring revived teenage romances on their unsuspecting kids."
"No!" Chase said emphatically. "No, they should not! But I am happy for you," he added more quietly. "It still might take some time to get my head around it, but I'm very happy for you." He took a deep breath, held it, then let it out. "Do either of you know Zane Bellamy?"
Lola hesitated. "The fashion designer? I know of him. He's very popular in Hollywood, isn't he?"
"That's right. Somehow he got wind of the crash wedding and called me this morning to offer to make you a dress, Lola."
Lola stared at him. "I don't care how good he is, he can't possibly make a wedding dress in under six hours. Not even a not-very-fancy one, which I don't need. I mean, I don't need a fancy one."
"He apparently thinks he can. You have an eleven a.m. appointment, if you want to keep it."
"I feel like I'd be a fool to say no, but…" Lola turned to Sam. "But in that case, what are you going to wear? Because I can't have a dress and be all fussed up and you show up in jeans!"
Sam looked profoundly offended. "I never wear jeans."
"It's true," Chase chimed in. "Not even when we were wrestling outside when we were kids."
"You used to wear jeans!"
"I'll start again," Sam offered. "Just for you. But not for the wedding. I do own a tux or two, Lola."
"Oh. Of course you do." Lola eyed him to make sure he knew most people didn't own tuxedos, and from his chuckle, assumed she'd gotten her point across. "Well, all right, then."
"Eleven," Sam said, tone worried. "That means we have to eat fast, Lola. We haven't gone ring shopping yet."
"Ring shopping?" Lola's voice spiraled upward. "I hadn't thought about rings!"
"Oh. Do you not like them?" Sam's gaze dropped to her hands, where she wore no rings at all.
Lola glanced at her own bare hands. "I used to wear one. When I got married, obviously. And for a while after Peter died, but eventually…" She sighed, touching her earlobes, where she wore two small diamond earrings, and then her throat, where another small diamond solitaire pendant settled. "These were from my engagement ring. I wanted to keep them with me, but I didn't want to wear the rings anymore. I wanted…" She frowned at her hands again. "I wanted to feel like my own person. I didn't want to be defined by having lost a husband. And I couldn't do that, with the rings. People would ask about him, or express sympathy, and…" She shook herself and looked up at Sam. "I would love a ring."
"Then we need to go shopping." Sam shoved a piece of toast in his mouth and stood, offering her a hand. Lola looked in dismay at her omelette, then shrugged and took the whole plate with her as she also stood. She ate on the way out to the car, with Chase calling, "So I'll have your tuxedo pressed, Mr Todd" behind them with a familiar tone of filial exasperation. Sam yelled, "Thank you, Chase!" over his shoulder, and then they were in the car, driving into town while Lola balanced a plate on her lap.
"It was much too good to leave behind," she said as Sam grinned at her. "And you're going back home later where you can eat. If I know anything about weddings, it's that dress fittings and food don't go together very well."
"I hadn't thought of that. You're wise as well as beautiful."
Lola snorted. "If you say so."
His voice softened, and Lola's heart melted as he said, "I do. But those are words for later, aren't they? Right now I'd better ask you what kind of rings you like."
"Oh. Pretty ones?" He gave her a look she deserved, and Lola grinned. "Rose gold. I'm not actually that fond of diamonds. They're fine, but they don't thrill me. Do you want a ring?"
His hands tightened on the wheel, and his voice was choked. "Very much, if you don't mind."
"Why on earth would I mind?" Lola put her hand on his thigh a moment, then looked thoughtfully at his hands. "Where do your clothes go?"
"In a heap beside the bed, much to the housekeeper's dismay."
"No!" Lola laughed. "When you shift! Where do your clothes go?"
"Oh. With me. Anything touching my skin that isn't organic goes with me, so clothes, glasses, shoes, rings. Or anything that isn't alive, I suppose. Cotton clothes are organic but they go with me."
"I knew what you meant. So you wouldn't lose a ring when you shifted?"
"I would not."
"Then rings for both of us sounds perfect. Nothing fancy, Sam. I don't need anything fancy."
He nodded, although his eyes sparkled as he glanced at her. "I hear you and agree because we're short on time, but just you wait for our first anniversary."
"For heaven's sake, Sam." There was no time to argue about it, anyway, because they were back in Virtue, though not on the town square. Up the next street over from the movie theatre, instead, where three jewelry shops in a row had staked out their territory. She and Sam spilled out of the car after Lola put her plate in the back seat, and they spent a few minutes window-shopping and laughing like they were teens before going into the 'vintage' shop, which had things from Lola's childhood in the window. "That's not vintage, " she hissed, and Sam gave a mock sigh.
"And yet."
It only took a few minutes to select a simple ring in rose gold, with a matching man's ring. They were plain, but that was all Lola needed, despite Sam's insistence of future glory. "Do we have a ring bearer?" he asked as they left the jewelry shop. "Do we need one?"
"You should ask Chase. And have your other children be your attendants. Charlee and Jennifer can be mine."
"Then we'll be lopsided! No," Sam added as Lola turned to walk toward the tailor's shop, "I know it's only down the street and across the square, but I'll drive you. Can't have you arriving sweaty to a haute couture fitting."
"I don't think it's possible to get a haute couture dress in five hours," Lola repeated. "At best, it'll be something off the rack and gussied up. But all right. If you insist."
"I absolutely do." Sam opened her car door for her, gallantly, and drove Lola to get gussied up.