The Battered Heiress Blues (12 page)

“Can’t. I don’t share well with others. Call if you need me.”

“Go.”

I sat down enjoying the peace and rest. I was feeling old- tired and worn out. I looked through the bag of food that Henry assembled to snack on during our work. I inhaled a ham sandwich and a bag of chips, sharing them with that same red cardinal.

Henry came out to say goodbye. The shower had done wonders. He looked amazing even though he was in jeans and a blue button down shirt. The color brought out his eyes. He sat down on the bench next to me.

“You smell good,” I commented, sniffing his skin.

“You don’t.”

I gave him a well deserved smack.

“Are you gone yet?”

“I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“I miss you already.”

7

A
quick kiss, but an even faster departure; Henry seemed in a hurry. I took my time walking back, stopping to cut some flowers with the shears I’d kept. The house was silent and I was exhausted. I found a vase for the blooms and then proceeded upstairs to take a long, hot shower.

I spent time shaving and pampering myself with the abundance of products left by Henry. Being a guy and not knowing what to buy me, he managed to get one of just about everything in the way of toiletries. With nothing better to do, I used the loofah, did a ten minute hair mask, and then exfoliated my face before the water ran cold.

Since I’d be sleeping alone, I decided to forego the seductive lingerie that was just begging to be worn. Instead, I chose a long white gown, with an empire waist. The lace dropped from under my breast, flowing down to the floor. I dried my hair and even put a coat of paint on my nails. A final dab of lip moisturizer and I was done. I admired my handiwork, even though there was no one around to appreciate it. I didn’t care. I felt pretty. All of the primping had left me tired. Retreating to my bed, I rested my eyes.

Sounds of Henry talking to me seemed distant. He was in New York. I knew I must be dreaming and I didn’t want to wake up. I missed him. I rolled over to look at the clock- nine. I’d slept for several hours. An odd light was coming from the wall. As I sat up and focused my eyes, I heard Henry’s voice again. I finally realized that the light was coming from the intercom system. I pushed the talk button, curious.

“Hello.”

I waited for a reply.

“You’re awake.”

“Tru?”

“Come and find me.”

“I thought…you’re not coming back till tomorrow.”

“A necessary lie.”

“For what?”

“For your surprise. Come find me.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Walk out onto the veranda. I’ll see you soon.”

The light went off and I practically flew out of bed. I pulled the drapes back and opened the doors. My yard was transformed into a fantasy. Walking out, I could see glass hurricanes with candles inside lighting the path for as far as the eye could see. Their light danced off the trees and made the moon feel jealous. I ran back in to brush my teeth and wash my face. A little perfume wouldn’t hurt. I refreshed my curls with some water and took a calming deep breath. I was too excited to change into the racy lingerie hiding in my dresser. I had to find him

The walk was pure magic. Along the center of the path, Henry had left two wrapped boxes with attached instructions. The first was a silver antique box. A black ribbon, tied in a magnificent bow, kept it closed. I knelt down to discover its contents. Inside was an old Walker family bible. Names of his ancestors graced the first few pages and it made me feel anxious about touching the aged paper. Walking on, I came upon another silver wrapped present that contained a blue negligee. I considered changing into the lingerie, but felt too modest to change in the open; especially with the path so beautifully lit. Carrying them both with me, I wondered what was in store for this night.

When the path luminaries stopped and the boardwalk began, I could see the torches that lit the long peer, ending at the boat house. I couldn’t see him yet. I was a little nervous. The light from the torches skipped across the water playfully. I felt Henry pulling me to him. Our connection seemed stronger than ever. Stepping onto the pier, I made my way slowly, trying to savor each step closer to my destiny. Life had dealt us some unfair blows, but we’d survived them together. After all these years, we would make love and celebrate the future.

The boathouse was closed on three sides, but open in the back, giving a view of the water. It used to hold John’s racing boat, but now we just used it for fishing or swimming. We didn’t even keep chairs down there, due to our infrequent visits.

I walked all the way to the end and stopped to cherish what was about to take place. When I turned back toward the boathouse, I saw him standing amidst a hundred lit candles. Large floor pillows were piled in the back as a make-shift bed. Music was softly serenading us and a single tear of joy fell from my eye. Every cell of my being was truly happy. My white gown flowed back and forth as the breeze touched my body. He held out his hand and I walked to him. Taking the boxes from me, he placed them on a candlelit table.

“You found me.”

“When did you do all this?”

“Why do you think I worked you so hard today? I needed you to sleep.”

“This is amazing.”

He took me into the boathouse and kissed me gently on the lips.

“Dance with me,” he said sweetly.

He pulled me close, placing my hands on his chest. We barely made it to the chorus before he unbuttoned my gown and watched it slide down my body to the floor. I stood there, almost naked, unbuttoning his shirt- my eyes never leaving his. As I pulled it down off his arms, he kissed me passionately, stopping once to memorize my curves. His hands traced my outline as I unbuttoned his pants and watched them fall. I kissed him like it was the first time, my legs cradled upward as he lifted me off the ground, carrying me over to the mountain of pillows he’d assembled. He paused to run his fingers across the scar that graced my lower abdomen. I felt a little self-conscious, but he ran his lips over the raised red line, showing me that he loved all of me- even the wounded parts.

“If I hurt you, you have to tell me. We need to be careful.”

“We will be.”

Our bodies moved in unison as we pleasured each other for hours, rediscovering territory from years spent apart. Exhausted, I relaxed back into his arms, sipping the last of the champagne we had uncorked during an earlier break from lovemaking. He walked out of the covers to the table, retrieving the two boxes I had opened.

“The bible is too much.”

“It’s a loaner.”

“Oh,” I replied with great curiosity.

“You have two more gifts to open.”

He reached into the pocket of his jacket which hung off a hook above our heads, and pulled out two black velvet boxes.

“Open the larger one first.”

When I unbuttoned the closure and looked inside, I saw a silver pendant with the monogram JWG. As the W initial started to sink in, Henry opened the last velvet box and placed it in my hands. A stunning diamond ring was sparkling- the light bouncing off the meticulously cut facets.

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue…”

I panicked, putting my finger to his mouth.

“We love each other. Isn’t that enough?”

“Not anymore. Not for me.”

“Be serious.”

“I am serious Jewels. I want you to be my wife.”

“What does that mean to you? How does marrying me change our relationship?”

“We would live together.”

“-Doesn’t require marriage.”

“Financially, we’d be on more equal footing.”

“Never gonna happen. I’ll always have more money than you. You know it means nothing to me. Money doesn’t matter.”

“That is exactly the rubbish spouted by those who have it.”

“Even still…”

“I want to start a family. We can adopt.”

“That requires a good marriage.”

“You didn’t have one before,” he argued.

“Not funny.”

“It’s important to me. I’m a traditional guy.”

“Tell me why now?”

“-Because life is too short. We’ve lost so much time trying to make it without each other. We’ve never been very good at it. We leave mayhem and destruction in our path.”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not exactly commitment material, Tru.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You can’t balance work and a personal life. I know that. I don’t have the expectation that you can so the hurt is manageable when you leave. If I’m your wife, the expectations are different. If we have a family, the expectations are a whole lot different. A child deserves an involved father. I want the total package- marriage and family.”

“I want the same things.”

“Are you prepared to quit Spencer Industries? If my father finds out, he’ll fire you.”

“I’ll handle your father.”

“Even with his blessing, your job is not normal. You leave on a moment’s notice all the time. If our child has a basketball game or dance recital, and you get a phone call, you’ll leave. You know you will. Those disappearing acts get embedded in the memory of a child. I want to co-parent. I don’t want to be a married single mom.”

“I can give you what you’re asking for, but you have to give me the opportunity to show you that. Don’t just shoot me down based on speculation. Give me a chance.”

“-A chance?”

“That’s all I’m asking for.”

“Okay…one chance. For the next week, and I mean seven whole days, you can not do any business. No phone calls. No emails. No quick trips. If you can make me a priority for one week, I’ll give you an answer.”

“No business for one week and you’ll be my wife?”

“No business for one week and I’ll give you my answer.”

“Now, my condition. You have to wear the ring this week. You need a reminder.”

“Agreed. Do you need a reminder?”

“No Jewels. I promise. No business.”

Henry took the Tiffany set diamond out of the box and slid it on my left ring finger. I didn’t want to admit it to him, but I was ecstatic. The man of my dreams just asked me to marry him. I didn’t fold quickly. He would have to prove me wrong. God, how I hope he proved me wrong.

He kissed the ring and turned my hand over to kiss the inside of my palm. That always sent shivers down my spine. He moved up my forearm and to my shoulder, before pulling me on top of him. He pushed my hair back off my face and smiled.

“By the end of this week, you will be Mrs. Henry Truman Walker. Julia Grace Walker.”

“It does sound good.”

I stared down at the beautiful ring- a diamond that had symbolized eternity to his grandparents. They were happy. Why couldn’t we share a similar fate?

“Believe in me Julia. I just need you to believe. I’ll do the rest.”

“I’ll believe.”
I’ll do my best
. “We should go back to the main house.”

“It’s nice here,” he said, exploring my neck.

“Yes- very, but we should blow out the candles on the path. I’m rather fond of my house.”

We extinguished the candles as we made our way back home, walking hand in hand. The night had been perfect, even if he didn’t get the immediate answer he was hoping for. He was correct. I was a bit too practical to always be romantic and carefree. I also wasn’t one to ignore the lessons of the past. I had Henry back. I didn’t feel the need to complicate our life with a marriage proposal, but I would give his proposal the consideration it deserved. At the end of the week, I would answer his question.

The house was quiet. There was no sign of Kate which was good since I was carrying my dress instead of wearing it. His shirt just covered my assets and I wasn’t in a state to entertain Gabe.

I hopped onto the kitchen counter and tossed my dress aside.

“I’m starving. Do you want something to eat?” he asked.

He began riffling through the fridge and pantry.