A Silken Thread (21 page)

She lifted her chin. “Fair! We don’t owe them anything, Brian. They’re the reason I’m not getting married in three weeks. I’m not sure I’ll be able to forgive them for that.”

He didn’t say anything, knowing she felt that way now but eventually would come around. She adored her father just as much as he adored his mother. They’d made mistakes, he could accept that, but still, he wanted to know how it had happened, why it happened. His mother hadn’t been involved with a man since his father’s death. How and why had she gotten involved with Wilson Sanders?

“There are going to be stipulations regarding us, though,” he then spoke up and said.

She wiped away more tears as she glanced up him. “What kind of stipulations?”

A small smile touched his lips although his heart was literally breaking at the thought she was going away on an extended trip with a woman who hated his guts and would probably use every turn to convince Erica she was better off without him. “That you keep in touch regularly. That way I know you’re missing me.”

She smiled faintly. “I will be missing you and I will marry you when I get back. Not the huge elegant wedding we have planned now, but—”

“Hell, I don’t care how it’s done as long as it’s done,” he interrupted. “By Thanksgiving.”

She nodded in agreement. “Yes, by Thanksgiving.”

“No matter what.”

“Yes, no matter what. I promise,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. “Thanks for giving me time to help Mom through this, Brian. It means a lot to me.”

He pulled her to him and held her, knowing their separation would be a test of the worst kind. He hoped their love would be strong enough to withstand all the betrayal, deceit and manipulation he had a feeling would be hurled at them.

All he knew was that he loved her and would never give her up.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“W
ell, well, the whoremonger has returned. Did you bring your slut back with you?”

Wilson turned when Karen entered the kitchen, wincing at her words. She had a right to be angry, but there was no reason for getting down-in-the-gutter nasty. It didn’t become her. “Karen. And how are you?”

Her face contorted in more anger. “How am I? How do you think I am after finding out about your affair?”

He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the kitchen cabinet. “Don’t pretend you care about me having an affair when you gave me the go-ahead to indulge in one years ago. When you stopped being a wife to me.”

“Is that all you men think about? Getting between a pair of women’s legs?”

“No, companionship is nice, too. Having someone to talk to, do things with. Having someone there for you. But you refused to do those things and be those things over twenty years ago and I never was unfaithful to you.”

“Then why now?”

He couldn’t help but give her a genuine smile. He could answer that question easily. “Because I finally met someone I truly like.” He came close to also adding,
Someone I love.

“Well, your timing on this one was awful, Wilson. And you’re right, I really don’t give a damn that you’re sleeping with another woman. But I refuse to let you behave so deplorably with a woman I will be interacting with on occasion. But then, your thoughtlessness has given me what I wanted. In a way it worked out in my favor.”

He lifted a brow, not sure where she was going with this. “What do you mean?”

“There’s no way Erica will marry Brian now.”

He heard the finality in her voice and couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t fool yourself on that, Karen. Erica loves Brian and she will not let anything come between them. Not you, me or Rita.”

A smile hovered on her lips. “I beg to differ.”

It was the sound of her voice at that moment that made him think there was something going on here. He decided to play his hunch. “Who sent those pictures to everyone, Karen?”

“How would I know? Evidently you and your mistress got sloppy.”

“No, I don’t think so,” he said, moving across the room to her. “I hope this isn’t something you concocted to—”

“To do what, Wilson? I didn’t force you to sleep with Rita Lawson. But you did, without thinking of how it would look to me or your daughter. Rita might have been your first fling, however, I doubt, since you’ve gotten a taste of a woman after all these years, that she will be your last. That doesn’t concern me.”

“Because you think you’re going to get what you want out of this, don’t you?”

She chuckled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about and it doesn’t matter. Our lives are what they are. You’re not going anywhere and neither am I. The only fool in all of this is Rita Lawson. What did you do? Promise to leave me for her? You and I know that won’t be happening.”

She was so sure of herself, he thought. So sure of him. “Not this time, Karen.”

She lifted a brow. “Not this time, what?”

“I refuse to let you manipulate me in whatever game you’re playing. I want a divorce.”

She seemed truly shocked. “A divorce?”

“Yes. We haven’t had a real marriage in years. I thought I could live with that, but I can’t.”

“You have no choice.”

Now it was he who smiled. “Yes, I do.”

She stiffened her spine. “If you leave me for her, Erica will hate you. I’ll see to it.”

“I’m not going to let your threats keep me from living a happy life, Karen. I met a woman that I can truly enjoy life with and I intend to do just that. And I’m going to believe that our daughter will realize what you’re doing. One day she will discover just what a mean, hateful, vindictive and manipulating person you are. When she does, then she will hate you. Is that what you want?”

Karen flinched. “That won’t happen.”

“For your sake, you better hope that it doesn’t. I won’t waste my time telling Erica my suspicions because she probably won’t believe me, considering everything. But eventually, she will find out the truth about you. There are some secrets that can’t be hidden forever.”

Without having anything else to say, he walked out of the kitchen.

April glanced across the table at Griffin. Surprising her, he had shown up a few hours ago and she was glad to see him. He had whisked her off to her favorite L.A. restaurant and she hadn’t wasted time before telling him that Erica was postponing the wedding and the reason she was doing so. Considering the ice queen—
Griffin’s words, not hers
—that Wilson was married to, he wasn’t taken aback to learn the man was involved in an affair.

Griffin had shaken his head sadly and said his own father was still holding the lead as the man to have the most affairs in Hattersville, and that there was no telling how many illegitimate children his old man could rightfully claim but chose not to do so. April hadn’t wanted to admit that she’d heard Herbert Hayes had had a problem keeping his pants zipped over the years.

“I think Erica is pretty upset with me,” she said after taking a sip of her tea.

Griffin glanced over at her. “That was coming down hard to accuse her mother of setting the whole thing up.”

“But who else would have benefited from it? I’m not saying she did it herself, but I bet she arranged it all. Everything is too pat. She’s my prime suspect because for her everything will fall perfectly into place.”

Griffin met her gaze. “I disagree. They will only fall into place if Erica allows herself to be manipulated.”

“And you.”

He lifted a brow. “Me?”

“Yes. I still think her sole purpose is to get you and Erica together.”

He chuckled. “It’s not happening. And I think you might be wrong about Karen Sanders this time. I wouldn’t put some things past her but I’m just not sure about this one. Mainly because when word gets out that Mr. Sanders had an affair, it will evolve into a scandal, which is something she wouldn’t want to deal with. She’s not
that
desperate to get me and Erica together.”

“But what if she is?” April implored.

“Even if she does believe in that Hayes–Delbert curse and is convinced the only way to break it is for me and Erica to marry, it takes two to tango. That’s one dance neither of us is willing to do, so it would be a waste of time on her part.”

“I don’t know, Griffin. I just have a funny feeling about the whole thing.”

He reached across the table and captured her hand in his. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Even if she managed to manipulate Erica, which I doubt she can do, she still has to try her wiles on me and she can’t do it. I’m not in love with Erica. I love you, baby.”

A myriad of sensations raced through April’s stomach. She had needed to hear him say those words while looking in her eyes. She needed to see the intensity in the dark depths, the passion, the desire and more than anything, the love. And she saw all of it and was tempted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

“And I love you, Griffin.”

He squeezed her hand before releasing it and gave her one hell of a sexy smile. “So, now that Erica’s wedding has been postponed, when are you going to tell her about us?”

Nerves skittered through her. “I’m not sure.”

He glanced at her over the rim of his coffee cup. “Is there a reason you want to continue to wait? And please don’t tell me it has something to do with your theory about Mrs. Sanders. If you truly believe that, then the sooner we let her and everyone else know about us, the better off we’ll be. Then she’ll know for certain that my future is set…with you.”

“Yes, but…”

“But what?”

“Erica is going through a lot right now.”

“And what does that have to do with us, April?”

She drew in a deep breath, not knowing what she could tell him. It really didn’t have anything to do with them and, knowing Erica, she would be happy for them. However, that crazy feeling she had just wouldn’t go away.

“Nothing, really, but I prefer not telling her until she gets back. She’s going on an extended trip with her mother. Dr. Cobb feels she needs to get away for a while.”

“How long will she be gone?”

“Not sure. First they’re doing a twelve-day cruise and then they plan to stay at their place on Lake Tahoe. Erica said some thing about being gone for almost six weeks.”

“That’s a long time.”

“Yes, but I think they’re hoping the scandal will have died down by then.”

He took a sip of his coffee. “And they’re sure there will be one? What if the only persons getting those texted pictures are the four of them? I wouldn’t think anyone would want to spread that story.”

“Yes, but once word gets out that Erica has put off her wedding everyone will wonder why.”

“Then don’t put it off.”

April rolled her eyes. “Can you honestly see Mr. and Mrs. Sanders standing alongside of Brian’s mother in a receiving line?”

“It would be rather strained,” he said.

“To say the least.”

Griffin checked his watch. “Do you want to take a walk on the beach before we head back to your place?”

She gave him a huge smile. “That’s a wonderful idea. Let’s do it.”

“All right.”

He always made even the simplest things such a joy whenever he came to town. She appreciated every single thing about him and he liked telling her every chance he got that he was hers. Other than Nana, and her friendship with Erica, she’d never felt anyone or anything was truly hers before. He was making her believe that dreams did come true and that she deserved love and happiness in her life like everyone else. And that she didn’t have to settle for less.

Now if she could get rid of this nagging fear that it was all a dream and one day she would wake up and he would be gone, that she had only imagined the whole thing, or even worse, that someone would come between them and tear them apart.

Her prayer every night was that it wouldn’t happen but her nagging fear just wouldn’t go away.

Chapter Twenty-Five

E
rica opened the door to find her father standing there. “Dad? What are you doing here?”

“You’ve been avoiding me. May I come in?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she didn’t want him to come in, but for some reason she couldn’t do that. And he was right. She had been avoiding him.

It had been five days since those pictures had been sent, and all the arrangements had been made. She and her mother would be leaving in the morning to fly to Barcelona for a twelve-day Mediterranean cruise. Then they would spend an entire month at Lake Tahoe.

She and Brian talked every night and, now that they had officially postponed their wedding and sent notices informing family and friends of their decision, phone calls had begun coming in. Everyone wanted to know the reason but she had refused to go into any details.

She let her father in, closing the door behind him. “I really don’t know why you came, Dad. You’ve admitted to the affair and as far as I’m concerned there is no excuse for what you and Ms. Lawson have done,” she said. “And now to think she is breaking up your marriage. Mom told me you’ve asked her for a divorce and—”

“Oh, come on, Erica, you’ve known the state of our marriage for years. Your mother and I were existing in a loveless marriage. I had made up in my mind to ask Karen for a divorce even before meeting Rita, but decided to wait until after your wedding.”

Erica crossed her arms over her chest. “And that’s supposed to make what you did right?”

“No, but for once I wanted to know how it felt to love and be loved in return.”

She dropped her arms and her mouth practically fell open. “Are you saying you love Rita and she supposedly loves you?”

“Yes. Although she’s willing to end things between us. She figures you and Brian will never accept us being together and that we’ve caused you and him too much pain.”

“What about the pain you’ve caused Mom?”

“Your mother has been aware of the state of our marriage for years and—”

“Of course you want me to believe she gave you her blessings to go ahead and indulge in affairs. She said you would probably try to convince me of something so ridiculous. She also told me she suspected you of other affairs in the past, but she didn’t want to believe it. What do you have to say about that?”

“Your mother is filling your head with lies.”

“Then what’s the truth?”

“In all my thirty years I’ve never been unfaithful to your mother.”

“Until now?”

“Yes, until now. I’m not going to divulge the personal business between your mother and me because it really doesn’t concern you, Erica. All I’m asking is that you believe that this affair with Rita was my first and it wasn’t just a fling. I love Rita and, yes, if she will have me and I hope that she will, I want to spend the rest of my days with her. And yes, I am divorcing your mother to make that happen. I know it all looks bad, but there’s nothing I can really do about it because I don’t intend to give Rita up.”

He paused for a moment and then said in a softer tone. “For once I am happy. Truly happy. You’ll never know how it was to wake up in the morning knowing my sixtieth birthday was around the corner and realizing that I didn’t know the meaning of love. Now I wake up every morning with a reason to be happy. And if that makes me a terrible person, I’m sorry. I endured a loveless marriage for thirty years and I don’t plan to continue doing so.”

He moved to the door and before reaching it, he turned around. “Your mother has already started manipulating you, Erica. I regret that you can’t see what she’s doing.”

Erica narrowed her gaze. “No one is manipulating me, Dad. And what I see, which you so clearly explained yourself, is that you want to divorce my mother to marry another woman.”

Silence followed and then without saying anything else, her father opened the door and walked out.

Rita moved around her home wondering how she would approach her son and what she would say when she finally spoke to him. She had called his office and he’d been in meetings. She had left her name but he had yet to return her calls. In the past, a day hadn’t gone by without him checking on her, calling to talk to her, but now…

She drew in a deep breath and was heading toward the kitchen when her phone rang. Hoping it was Brian she quickly moved across the room and picked it up without noticing the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Rita, baby, I need to see you.”

She almost dropped the phone and hearing the sound of Wilson’s voice made emotions she’d tried keeping at bay come rushing to the forefront. She covered her face with her hand and fought back the sob that erupted in the back of her throat. He was the last person she needed to talk to now. Wilson Sanders was her weakness. He was the one man, after all these years, that she had fallen in love with. But he belonged to someone else. Why had it been so easy for her to forget that?

“I can’t talk to you, Wilson. We can’t continue what we started. And we can’t see each other. Brian is hurting because Erica has called off the wedding and he blames me. And he has every right to do so.”

“No he doesn’t, and stop blaming yourself, Rita. And I refuse to let anyone take away the happiness I am just discovering I can feel with you. Brian and Erica will get married eventually. You and I both know that.”

“Will they? Can we be so sure of that? Your wife hates anyone with the last name of Lawson and I have a feeling she will do anything to make sure a wedding doesn’t take place, just to spite me. To spite us.”

“Then we need to make sure that doesn’t happen. I asked Karen for a divorce and—”

“No!” The hand flew from her face and she nearly dropped the phone again. “You should not have done that.”

“You’re wrong, sweetheart. I should have done it years ago.”

“But our children, Wilson.”

“They will eventually come around and accept our love for each other, Rita. I don’t want you to regret falling in love with me.”

Rita dropped down on the sofa. His words tore at her heart. “I don’t regret it.”

“And never start regretting it, no matter what. We’re in this together, sweetheart. And I refuse to let you go.”

Rita shook her head. He had no choice but to let her go. “I can’t believe this has happened. I thought we were being discreet. How on earth did someone take those pictures? Who took them?”

“I have a feeling about those pictures. Personally, I think Karen was behind them and made sure they were sent to expose us. Right now I don’t put anything past her and that’s why I need to talk to Brian.”

“No, please don’t. At least not now. He’s going through some things and prefers not being bothered and—”

“He hasn’t talked to you about this?”

Tears Rita tried holding back fell down her cheek. “No, but that’s okay. I understand and—”

“Well, hell, I don’t understand. This should not involve our kids, but Karen went out of her way to make sure that it did. Erica and Karen left today for a six-week trip. I see what she’s doing, if no one else does—especially Erica, who refuses to question her mother’s motives right now.”

“And what do you think Karen is doing?”

“Trying to keep Erica and Brian apart and Brian can’t let that happen.”

“If she thinks she can do that then she really doesn’t know my son.”

“Yes, but still, I need to talk to him.”

“Please, not now, Wilson. Give him some time, which is what I’m doing. I have to believe that he’ll come around. I have to believe that.”

“And he will, just like I believe the same thing of Erica. Karen thinks she has everything well planned but there’s some thing she has overlooked and sadly knows nothing about.”

“What?”

“Love and the power behind it. I think in the end she’s going to be in for a rude awakening.”

Rita drew in a deep breath when she glanced out her living room window and saw Brian’s car pull into the driveway. As glad as she was that he had finally come to see her, she wasn’t sure how the meeting between them would pan out. Both Wilson and Lori thought she was making a mistake to put his happiness above her own, but that’s exactly what she would do. There was no way she would let her behavior with Wilson cause him more misery.

She moved toward the door when the doorbell sounded, willing to do whatever it took to repair her relationship with her son. “Brian,” she said, opening the door and then stepping back to let him in.

“Mom.”

“I was just about to eat dinner. You’re welcome to join me if you like.”

“No, thanks. I just came to talk. I promise not to take up much of your time.”

He could never take up her time, she thought, and her heart ached that he assumed that he could. “All right, let’s sit in the living room.”

She kept her eyes on him as they walked to the sofa. He looked like he hadn’t gotten much sleep, and he’d lost weight, as well. Not much, but enough where a mother would notice. They’d always had a close relationship, even when Patrick was alive, and then when they’d lost the man they’d considered their rock, the bond between them had thickened even more. The thought that that bond had broken caused a pain to swell within her chest.

She decided to cut to the chase. “How’s Erica?” she asked.

He drew in a deep breath. “I assume she’s fine. She and her mother left on a trip today.” He paused a moment. “I’m sure you know by now that the wedding has been postponed.”

“Yes, Wilson told me.”

Brian’s brow lifted. “So you and Mr. Sanders are still communicating with each other?”

She heard the accusing tone whether he intended for her to or not. And she would not lie to him about her relationship with Wilson. “Yes.”

Brian stared at her for a long moment and she wished she could read his thoughts. He then leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his thighs while pinning her with his deep gaze. “Will you tell me something, Mom?”

“Yes, anything you want to know.” And she meant it. Although the conversation may end up being painful and embarrassing, she would be forthcoming. He deserved that.

“Why Mr. Sanders? You hadn’t dated anyone since Dad died. So why him? Especially when you knew he’s a married man and it was no secret how Mrs. Sanders felt about Erica marrying me.”

She clasped her hands in her lap and stared down at them for a moment wondering how she would answer his question. She didn’t expect him to accept her behavior but she needed him to understand it.

She raised her head and met his gaze. There was only one answer she could give him. “Because I fell in love with him.”

He looked shocked, as if her answer was out of left field, beyond the scope of his comprehension at the moment. He simply sat there and stared at her.

She cleared her throat. “I know it’s probably hard for you to understand how such a thing could happen, and it’s not that I wanted it to happen. Like you said he is a married man and I wanted to respect that.”

“But you didn’t.”

She flinched at his mocking tone. He was right, she didn’t. “No, but I tried. However, I saw something in Wilson besides the warm, caring person that he is. I saw a man who deserved to be loved and who deserved to know how it felt to love.”

She paused a moment before continuing. “I know that’s no excuse for what I did, for what we did, but it happened. And now…it’s over between us.”

Brian shifted in his chair again. “But you said you loved him.”

“I do and I won’t take that back. But loving him is causing others pain and I can’t let that happen.”

“Are you aware that he’s asked Karen for a divorce?”

She nodded. “Yes, but he had planned to do that anyway, before he even met me. However, he wanted to wait until after the wedding. I am not the cause of their divorce.”

“She’s saying that you are.”

“Then she is wrong.”

Brian looked at her with dark eyes that were so much like Patrick’s. “You say you love him, yet you’re giving him up,” he said. “Because of me and Erica?”

She smiled slightly when she felt a single tear fall from her eye. “Yes, but then I never should have had him in the first place. What I did was wrong and I admit that. What I should have done was wait until he was a free man.”

“And had he come to you a ‘free’ man you would have gotten involved with him?”

“Yes, because I’d fallen in love with him.”

When Brian didn’t say anything but sat there for a long while, she finally asked, “Is there anything else you want to ask me about the situation?”

“Yes, do you believe that he loves you?”

She lifted her chin and met his direct, penetrating gaze. She saw no point in telling him that Wilson had told her several times that he did, and she believed him every time he’d whispered the words to her. She knew in her heart that Wilson loved her as much as she loved him. But this was one time love wouldn’t be enough.

“Mom?”

She swallowed hard. “It doesn’t matter if he does or not.”

Brian stood up and she tilted her head to look up at him. When he reached out his hand to her, she took it and he gently tugged her to her feet, as well. She felt the strength in the hands that held hers and she appreciated it at that moment.