Willow

Chapter 22 #2

“Oh god,” they both said at the same time, and it took several minutes before they caught their breath, rolled over and pulled the blankets over them and in minutes they were both asleep again.

*****

Wanda rolled over and smiled when she saw the man sleeping beside her. She noticed it was going on eight and gently slipped out of bed and into the shower. She was just turning the water off after her shower when the door opened, and Christopher walked in. She stepped out as he stepped in.

“I ordered room service. I hope you don’t mind.”

“What’d you order?” She asked as she dried off and slipped on a robe.

“A little of everything. I didn’t know what you wanted. An omelet, pancakes, fruit, coffee, juice. and a pitcher of ice lime water. I saw you were running low.”

“Thanks,” she said, and left him alone to finish his shower, as she went out and got dressed.

She was surprised when the knock came on the door that room service had been so quick.

She opened the door and stared at her brother and father in shock.

She didn’t hear the shower and hoped Christopher didn’t come out.

Before she could say anything, Randall and Douglas walked in, shut the door behind them at the same time the bathroom door opened, and Christopher came out only wearing a towel.

They all stared at each other in shock, then Douglas crossed his arms, and asked, “I take it you finally consummated the marriage? Took your sweet time, don’t you think.”

“Um,” Christopher said in shock, then laughed. “Just wanted to make sure it was a sure thing.”

“Thanks a lot,” Wanda said, and handed him his bag, and he slipped back into the room to dress. He emerged at the same time room service was at the door.

“Well, I see we came at a busy time,” Randall said. “Didn’t mean to barge in on you. Thought I’d come down and invite you to breakfast downstairs.”

“You can go and be with your family,” Christopher said.

“No, no you two spend time together. But your mother and sister want to know if you want to go shopping afterward. It’d be around nine.”

Wanda looked at Christopher, and he held up his hand. “I have to go get groceries and then head home. You guys are still coming to the house tomorrow?”

“Yes, but you’ll have to give us your address.”

“Sure.” He wrote it out and handed it over. “It’s not an actual house, it’s a condo. Mom had said something about starting around three. But you can talk to her tonight at the gallery.”

“I’ll be there.” Douglas grinned. “But Mom, Dad, Fern, and the others won’t be.

After Wanda mailed the tickets for us, Dad was able to score some tickets to some Broadway show.

I’m not really interested, but it’s something the kids would enjoy.

They’re going to that, I’m going to the gallery.

But I wanted to talk to Wanda about something. ”

“I’ll step out,” Christopher said, and grabbed his plate, a cup of coffee and stepped out in the hall.

He was surprised when Randall joined him.

“Before you ream me a new one, we talked this morning, and I told her I didn’t want to go through with the divorce.

Please keep this to yourself, we’re going to tell everyone tomorrow, but we’re going to see if we can make this work.

I’m selling my part of the business to my partner, and he’s going to even buy my condo.

Randall, I love your daughter and want to make a life with her. ”

Randall studied the man before him and nodded. “Good man. I’m sure she told you about all her medical issues?”

“She has, and they don’t scare me. She’s been open and honest with any questions I’ve had.”

“Good. I wish you luck.” He held out his hand and laughed when Christopher had to put his cup down on a table in the hall.

In the room, Wanda helped herself to breakfast and invited Douglas to sit. “What’s up?” She poured them both a glass of juice, he declined when she offered to fix a plate for him.

“First, I want to say I’m proud of you. Never in a million years would I have thought you could do what you do.” He grinned.

“I know, right?” She laughed. “I can’t explain it.

I did my traveling, and I when I left New Orleans I was headed to the Grand Canyon.

I stopped for gas and a meal. Saw a sign for free pottery lessons.

I wasn’t on a timetable, so I figured, what the hell.

I got a room and looked over the town before the experience the next day.

But the minute I sat at that pottery wheel and slapped that clay down then added the water, it was like this huge calm came over me.

All my thoughts left my head, my nerves settled, and I made something.

Actually, the first item I ever made from that lesson is that bowl I sent to you. ”

“And I use it every day. It’s on the table when we first walk in the door. I throw my keys in it.”

“I talked to the woman giving the lesson, and she said I was a natural. It was like I finally found myself. That was the whole idea behind me going on that trip. Who knew that wrong turn I took would lead me to my destiny?”

“Really? A wrong turn?”

“Not a wrong turn per se.” She grinned. “More like I literally couldn’t see where I was going.

It was raining heavily, and I was stuck between two semis on each side and one in front of me.

I knew my exit was coming up, but I couldn’t see it, and there was no way I was going to cut a semi off in a rainstorm, so I just went with the flow.

It brought me down the south side of Arizona instead of cutting through the middle. ”

“I’m glad it all worked out. Now, my second thing. How were your blood test results?”

“Good. Still in remission, still accepting the organ.”

“Good, good. Now for the third item.”

“And the main one.” She grinned at her brother.

“Fine,” he said and actually blushed. “Never thought I’d be asking my younger sister for female advice, but what do you know about Trish Bower?”

“What about her?” She frowned as she began eating after he encouraged her to.

“Hell, I don’t know.” He sighed and refilled his coffee cup. “Is she married? Engaged? Dating anyone. Does she even bat for my team or yours?”

“Oh my god.” Wanda laughed. “You like her?”

“I thought she was cute, but I didn’t want to come over too strong last night. I could tell this was an important thing for her.”

“Well, I can’t tell you much. What she said when she introduced me last night is all true.

I’ve worked with her for three years. She’d put my designs in different shops around Seattle.

That’s where she’s based out of. The woman who gave that free lesson took me under her wing and taught me the craft.

She’s the one that contacted Trish to represent me.

You’ll have to talk to her. I do know that I was her first client and now she’s as big as she is.

If last night were any indication, I’d say she’s doing well for herself.

But as for personal stuff, I have no clue.

As much as I enjoy working with her, that’s all our relationship is, work. Nothing personal.”

“Oh. But if she’s based out of Seattle, that’s good. I know you sent an e-mail that you were going to be busy. Now I understand why, you were getting ready for this, right?”

“Right.” She agreed with him, she had been busy back then for a gallery, except it was for Susan’s in Seattle, not this one in New York, that came weeks later. It was too confusing to correct him, so she just agreed with him.

“That’s what I figured. When you sent the tickets to Mom, and she said we’d be meeting you here, I decided to wait for my news. The rest of the family doesn’t know yet, not even Brandon and he is my boss.”

“What?” Wanda prompted after he went silent.

“I took the detective’s exam, and I passed.”

“Douglas, that’s wonderful. Does this mean a promotion?”

“It does. However, I was offered a job in Seattle. I took it, so when I leave here Monday, I’m going back to Oregon and packing up and moving to Seattle. I thought if I got to know Trish, I’d know at least one person in the city.” He frowned. “Not necessarily as a love interest.”

“I understand.” She put her hand on her brother’s.

“Someone to talk to, get to know the city when you both have a free moment. I wished I knew someone in Yuma when I arrived. Sure, I had Magnolia, but she was a seventy-year-old woman, and I think she took me under her wing because her daughter didn’t want anything to do with the pottery business.

But other than Magnolia, I had no one there.

It gets lonely. Sure, I’ve since made friends, but not that many.

One thing I always stressed with Trish was that she would never know my real name until I was ready to reveal it.

That’s why she kept calling me Willow Raintree all last night.

But I can understand why you’d want to know someone of the opposite sex.

I’m going to lunch with her and the other artists tomorrow, I can talk to her then if you’d like. ”

“I’m not sure. I’m going to try to see if I can get her by herself for a few minutes tonight. But maybe I’m pushing it. Hell, I don’t know. All I know is that I really liked what I saw.”

“When was the last time you dated someone?”

“Last Spring. Her name was Emily Brown. I dated her for about four months. Matter of fact, I met her at a friend’s New Year’s Eve party. I even took her to Fern’s for Easter dinner.”

“Damn, bro. That’s serious. What happened?”

“We got to talking about your wedding. I have pictures of the family all over my apartment. But my favorite picture of you was the day you left on your trip. It’s with you blowing me a kiss.

I had it blown up into an eight by ten, and it’s on my desk at the office.

Emily came to my office several times and always commented on the picture.

I didn’t really pay any attention. It wasn’t until Easter Sunday when we were laughing and reminiscing about your wedding that her comments began to register. ”

“Let me guess, because of my size?”

“Exactly. I told Emily she didn’t understand. She told me that I had my head in the clouds that no one didn’t have control over their weight. I refused to listen anymore to her comments. I called Uber and Brandon escorted her out of the house. I haven’t seen her since.”

“So, let me ask you this,” Wanda said as she scooped up a bite of the veggie omelet.

She knew she was curvy, but most of that was due to the medication.

She was happy with her body and knew that Christopher loved it, so she didn’t take offense.

“Are you interested in Trish because she’s curvy?

I take it that this Emily Brown wasn’t.”

“No, she wasn’t. I didn’t really give her a second glance at first. She wasn’t really my type.

I’ve always liked women who had curves. When I make love to a woman, I don’t want to think I have to temper my enthusiasm and break something or get poked by a sharp bone sticking out. Remember Rachael in high school?”

“Oh yeah, she was curvy. Whatever happened to her?”

“She went away to college at UCLA and started her life there. But that’s why I think I liked Trish’s look, the first thing that caught my attention was that I saw her from behind and I liked her figure. Then she turned, and I saw her face. Cute. Do you even know how old she is?”

“I think she’s a year or two older than me. So that should put her around your age. What about this? Why don’t you let me introduce you to her tonight? I’ll introduce you as my brother and mention that you’re being transferred to Seattle, then we can see what her reaction would be.”

“Sounds good.” Douglas grinned, then stood and went over and hugged her and kissed her cheek. He grabbed the last piece of bacon from her plate and made his way to the door. She was laughing when he left, and Christopher entered.

“Everything okay?”

“Yep. My big brother had the hots for my agent and asked me to give him all the information I had on her.”

Christopher looked at her in shock, then burst out laughing.

“Yeah, right. Pull the other leg, babe.” He refilled his juice glass and dropped the subject.

They finished getting ready, and as they left the room, they met her mother and sister in the lobby.

Christopher said hello, then when he took Wanda to the side, he kissed her and told her that if she didn’t want to bring her purchases home on the plane to have them delivered to his home and he would bring them down with him when he moved to Arizona.

“Or I could have them shipped to my house.”

“You could do that, but then you’d be paying for shipping again. Because I live here in the City, they should be delivered to my home for free.” He handed her a business card that had his address written on the back. “I’ll meet you at the gallery tonight.”

“Okay.” She sighed and kissed him. She only grinned when he left, and she turned to see the shocked expressions on her mother’s and sister’s face. “Hey, at least we’re already married.” She grinned, and the three of them laughed and went out to the waiting car, ready to take Fifth Avenue by storm.