CHAPTER SEVEN
The next few days were hard on her. The funeral, then the reading of her father’s will.
Each of the children received a portion of his wealth, but the majority went to her mother, which it should have.
After that, they had a wonderful family dinner together.
For the first time since Tammy could remember, they acted as a real family.
There was wine and laughter. Tammy was surprised at how strong her mother was. She couldn’t have been happier.
It was her mother who hugged her when Lance and she were leaving. “Please don’t be a stranger dear.”
Tammy felt her eyes water. “I won’t.”
“Call me more often, okay?”
She nodded too choked up to say anything. If there was something she could take away from her beloved father’s death, it was that her mother and she were closer.
“I have to meet Marianne tonight,” Lance said once they were back in the car.
“I know.”
“Did you want to come?”
She turned her head to look at him. “I need to be able to trust you Lance. I don’t think I need to be there.”
“I was worried about leaving you alone Tammy.” He smiled. “I haven’t given you a reason not to trust me and I know you’re more mature than that.”
She smiled back at him. “That doesn’t mean I trust her. I have an image of her answering her door in a negligee.”
He chuckled. “We’re meeting at a restaurant. I assure you, that even she wouldn’t be that bold.”
“Good thing. I suppose I can call Eli.”
“Eli?”
“The fashion designer—” his expression changed to disproval “—the gay one,” she laughed and he relaxed. “Now who’s mistrustful?”
“Like you said—it’s not you I distrust. Men fall all over you.”
“Lance Hartley, that is not the case!”
“No? As I said, I’m an alpha male and I can recognize another predator.”
“You are seeing things.”
“And that is why they fall all over you. Your humility is astounding.”
She flushed.
He embraced her. “I just can’t touch you enough.
” He sighed heavily. “I’ll be late. I’m sorry.
There are papers to sign, and a lot of matters to discuss.
I should be spending this with you, but we’re leaving tomorrow.
The sooner I can hand everything over, the better.
I was going to do it on my trip next month, but seeing as we are getting married, I’d rather get this out of the way now. You have my cell number.”
“I do. I’m okay with it, honestly.” And she was.
***
After Lance left that evening, she did call Eli. She didn’t want to be alone. She shouldn’t have been surprised when he told her to take a cab to his apartment. Apparently he was having a party.
“Wear something stunning!”
She laughed, “I will.”
“Be prepared darling, there are a lot of freaks here, including myself. If you want, bring that man of yours.” He made a delicious sound. “I’d climb that hunk of meat like a monkey to a tree.”
“Eli!” Oh God, she was laughing so hard now.
She decided on the red dress she wore to her brother’s wedding. It was the only thing she had at Lance’s apartment.
She took the cab to Greenwich where Eli’s address was. It was a remodeled Methodist Romanesque church made into condominiums and incredibly perfect for someone as eccentric as Eli. She rang the number on the digital com by the door. It instantly buzzed and opened the door.
She went up the stairs to the top floor.
The music was loud and it reverberated in the hall.
It was Eli who answered the door, and he was completely inebriated.
He was dressed in white shimmery pants that were tight as snakeskin, a white shirt, black bowtie and a ridiculously multicolored checked suit jacket.
She loved it. He let out a squeal of delight.
He kissed both of her cheeks and took her hand pulling her in.
“Won’t your neighbors be upset at the loud music?” She asked.
“No, darling. They’re all here.” He laughed. “Now let’s get you something to drink. Marianne told me your father passed away, so we are going to celebrate his life!”
A half an hour later, she remembered nothing.
***
“I will figure out a way to punish you for the stress you put me through last night, but you need to shower. We leave in less than an hour to catch our plane.”
Through a fog, a throbbing migraine and blurry eyes, she heard Lance’s deep voice. Lance’s restrained anger was evident in the tone. She groaned and rolled over. What the hell did she do last night? And, how did she get home?
“Tam?”
“Uh-hmm. I heard you.”
“You’re in shit.”
“Okay.” She couldn’t argue with him because she wasn’t quite sure what she did. She sat up slowly. Well, she was in his bed so he couldn’t have been so angry as not to want to sleep next to her.
“Twenty minutes and I expect you at breakfast…or lunch. Whatever you want to call it.”
She rubbed her eyes and lifted her head to stare at him. He was gorgeous in a dove grey suit, dark blue mauve shirt and matching tie. He was inserting expensive cuff links while staring at her with barely contained anger. “That bad huh?”
“You don’t remember?”
“No.”
“I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.”
“Now I’m curious.”
“Well, I’m not telling you a damn thing. I think you should simmer in it a bit after the worry you put me through.”
“I’m sorry.”
He stared at her a moment before he nodded curtly. “Breakfast—twenty minutes.”
“I can do that.”
Without another word, he left.
Yikes, he was mad. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him like that before.
She actually made it to the kitchen in fewer than twenty. She wore a pair of jeans and a lacy white blouse. Lance was nowhere to be seen, but Mavis had breakfast ready for her.
She gave her a look of sympathy as she set a plate of fruit and toast in front of her. It was the perfect meal for a massive hangover.
“If you are looking at me like that, he was really mad, wasn’t he?”
Mavis cast a quick look around the room before she spoke. “I don’t think I’ve seen him like that before. He really loves you Miss Easler.”
She sighed. “Thank you for putting it that way, but I know he’s furious with me. Wow, I don’t remember a darn thing. I seem to be able to be persuaded very easily. I drank too much and I’m sure I put him through hell worrying.”
“He was near frantic last night when he came home and couldn’t find you. He finally tracked down your friend.”
Tammy felt terrible.
Lance came into the room then and Mavis quickly busied herself. His walk was angry, determined, and his eyes were on her as he approached. Oh, yes, he was still upset with her.
He placed something next to her plate without saying a word.
“What is this?”
“Your cell phone.”
She picked it up and looked at it. “Lance I don’t—”
“Tammy, you are. You are going to be married to me soon and you may not realize it, but I would like to be able to get a hold of you when I worry. This would have come in handy last night when I spent three hours tracking you down,” he added tersely.
“I’m sorry I made you worry,” she said sincerely. “You know I’m not like that.”
“Yes, but still, it could have saved me from aging ten years. If it wasn’t for Marianne, I still wouldn’t know where you were. I didn’t have Eli’s last name.”
Marianne. Oh, God, she knew she was missing and out partying without her fiancé. She bet Marianne just jumped at the opportunity to help. She grit her teeth angry with herself for putting Lance in that situation. She drove him in that direction.
“What about when we have kids? What if I need to get a hold of you if one is sick?”
Oh God, that really put things in perspective. “That makes sense.”
He softened his expression slightly. “I’m angry with you.”
“I know. I don’t think I’ve ever drank to the point of passing out, or not remembering.”
“You were passed out on Eli’s sofa while people partied around you, and two men were sitting next to you and you were leaning on one of them. I’m thinking you were slipped something.”
“He wouldn’t allow that. I’m sure he wouldn’t.”
“No, probably not, but there are a lot of drugs at parties like that, and according to Eli, who at the time wouldn’t have lied because I had him by the throat—”
“What! Oh my God! Lance!”
“—he said you only had a couple of cocktails, but then he wasn’t watching you the whole time. He thought you knew better. I enlightened him. It was probably a good thing Marianne was with me, or I would have hit him for inviting you.”
She could have died hearing the other woman saw her in such a state, but it was no less than she deserved seeing how upset Lance was.
He looked away for a moment and she could see the muscle clenching in his jaw. Yes he was angry, and now she could see he had a right to be. If the roles were reversed, she doubted she’d be as calm. He continued talking after collecting himself.
“He said you passed out around midnight and he kept you on the sofa to keep an eye on you.”
She stood up and faced him. “I am so sorry.”
He took a deep breath to still his temper while staring down at her.
His eyes burned right through her. Now she could see that he had every right to be angry. “I was stupid.”
He shook his head. “You were na?ve, na?ve to think that everyone is as righteous as you. Those fashion parties have a lot of drugs at them and Eli seems like a good man or I doubt I would have you back in one piece, but you are not going to his, or anyone else’s, parties without me.
That kind of New York nightlife can ruin people’s lives. I’ve seen a lot of it.”
She reached up and touched his cheek. “It won’t happen again. I promise. It’s not me. It’s not something I’d repeat. I didn’t want to be alone—”
“You could have come with me Tammy.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to look like the jealous girlfriend to Marianne by hovering over you. I want to be able to trust you.” She turned away and threw up her hands. “Now I look like an idiot instead and she probably thinks you are babysitting a child.”
“It doesn’t matter what she thinks.”
“It does to me, because she’s your friend.” She turned back to him. “I’ve never misbehaved in such a way in my entire life.”
“And it will stop now.”
She pursed her lips. She certainly didn’t like to be spoken to like a child, but she certainly acted irresponsible.
“Don’t make that face Tammy. I was worried.”
She breathed deep and let it out slow. “I know.”
He turned and walked a few steps away for a moment and ran his fingers through his hair disheveling it. Then he stopped, placed his hands on his hips and looked at the floor.
Tammy waited patiently. This was it. Dread washed through her. He was going to tell her he didn’t want to marry her after all. She’d never seen him so unsettled before in her life.
Finally he turned back and saw the fear in her expression. “What?”
“I understand if you want to call this off.”
“What off?”
“The wedding.”
“Christ Tammy, I’m pissed off. I’m not ending our relationship on one incident.
Your father just died. I understand you needed to cut loose and forget about things for a night, but I can’t help the way I feel.
This is new ground for me too. Just because I’m unbelievably furious with you, doesn’t mean I love you any less. ”
“Well, I don’t know! I’ve never seen you like this,” she shouted.
“That’s because I don’t let anyone see me like this. That alone should tell you how much I care.”
She bit her lip to keep from crying. He always knew how to put things in perspective.
“Come here.” His voice was soft. He was no longer angry.
She didn’t hesitate and ran into his arms. He held her tight and lowered his head on hers.
“No more parties without me.”
She nodded.
“Use your phone.”
She nodded again.
“Now tell me you love me.”
She smiled and sniffed. “I do love you Lance.” She lifted her head and looked up at him. “More than anything else in my life.”
He finally smiled, then bent his head, and kissed her. “Sit down, eat, then we’ll go home.”
It was Colton that picked them up at the airport in Billings again. He gave Tammy a genuine tight bear hug. “How are you holding up?”
“With all the wonderful support—”
“What the hell is this?” Colt interrupted grabbing her hand and lifting it up to see the enormous engagement ring. His eyes went to his brother and his brows popped up. “I’ll be damned! All I can say is, it’s about bloody time you opened your eyes.”
Tammy flushed as Lance grinned from ear to ear not the least bit affected by his brother’s candid behavior. It was one of those rare jaw dropping smiles that could melt any woman’s heart.
“We were thinking about September,” was all he said to Colt’s excited discovery.
“The hell you are! That’s great!” Colt said with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. “Elaina will be ecstatic.”
“Let me tell her please, Colt. I want her to be my maid of honor,” Tammy pleaded.
He nodded. “By then she’ll no longer be pregnant and I’m sure she’d be happy as hell to do that for you.”
The ride home was laced with an uplifting ambiance while Colt and Lance talked about the ranch and business, as usual. Tammy always was envious of the affection the three brothers had for one another. She loved her siblings, but they didn’t seem to have that same connection.
Lance helped her unload her luggage and took it up to her apartment. He set it down in the entrance and looked around.
“What is it?”
“I was just thinking that we’d have to find a place to live. Soon.”
She never even thought about that.
“I would love to stay in my father’s house with the rest of my family, but with us wanting children right away, it would begin to get crowded.” He smiled mirroring her own. “I’m thinking, I’ll build a house.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really?”
He shrugged. “It will be on the ranch though. I want to stay close to my brothers.”
“Oh Lance, that sounds wonderful.”
He walked up to her and kissed her sound on the mouth. “I’d do anything to please you Tammy.”
She felt like weeping again but did her best not to. She seemed to be doing that a lot around him lately.
“I’ll be back later tonight. I have to go home and deal with some business and unpack.” He kissed her again and left.
She went and checked her messages and laughed at the dozen messages left for shifts. She called the hospital and took an evening shift.
Then she called Lance and told her she did. It was the first time she used her cell phone.
“Do you not remember the rules?” he asked.
Colt cast him a sideways glance and mouthed, rules?
He nodded, “She works too much.”
“Yeah well we’ve all told her that.”
“You two quit talking about me,” Tammy chastised. “Besides it’s been so long. I’ll be home by eleven-thirty. I know you’ll be a while Lance, so I need to keep busy.”
“You will cut down these shifts Tam, now and in the future. You know why.”
He sounded so stern but she felt herself smile. “Yes sir.”
“Not funny.”
“Well, how about you just get me pregnant then, councilor, then I’ll stop working.” She hung up the phone to his sharp intake of breath.
“She all right?” Colt saw his brother’s shocked expression.
“She’s fine. She just keeps finding ways to surprise me.” He chuckled and tucked his phone away.
“Are you sure about this big brother?” Colt didn’t need to explain what he was talking about. Lance already knew it was about marrying Tammy.
“Very.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
After another half an hour of small talk, Colt pulled up to the driveway of the large house. There was a red convertible sitting in front of the doors.
“Did you buy Elaina a new car?” Lance asked.
Colt shook his head. “It’s not ours.”
His question was answered when Marianne came out of the house. Elaina was standing beside her.
“What the hell…?”
“I take it Marianne knows you’re getting married?”
“I told her last night.”
“Well, you must be one hell of a lay big brother because women seem to have a problem letting you go,” Colt teased.
“I’m sure Tammy won’t find this funny at all.” He got out of the truck and retrieved his suitcase before walking up to the house.
Colt greeted Marianne politely before kissing his wife scandalously in front of her.
Marianne actually blushed.
Colt took Elaina in the house after giving his brother a sympathetic look.
“Can we talk?”
“Seeing as you flew here, and somehow beat me to my own house, I’m assuming this is important?”
“It is.”
He motioned to the porch swing. She walked over and sat down leaving room for him.
He left his suitcase by the door and joined her, but didn’t sit down. Instead he leaned back against the porch rail. “I’m all ears.”
“I love you Lance. I can’t stand idly by and let you go.”
He tilted his head. “We were over five years ago.”
“I know. I was just hoping you still have feelings for me.”
“I’ll always care about you, but in all honesty Marianne, I never loved you.”
She nodded already knowing that. “You can grow to love me.”
A smile pulled at his mouth. “Marianne, if it’s not there, it’s not there.
I love Tammy.” Tammy had a way about her that fired his passion.
Just standing there looking at the other woman’s beauty did nothing for him.
Soon, he’d be married to the most desirable, sexiest woman in existence.
Just thinking about her made his groin tighten.
“What makes her so different?”
“She’s unspoiled, genuine, and honest.”
“That’s it?”
“Pretty much.”
“Lance that doesn’t make sense. Look at the connections I have. We would make a stunning couple.”