To Love and to Cherish (8 page)

K
ayla

The police arrived and arrested Ophie. I was against giving her her clothes. But I didn't fight it when one of the officers retrieved them from the suite.

I rode with Jus in the ambulance to the hospital, holding his hand like the good fake wife I was. The doctors wanted to check him out and observe him while they waited for the results from the energy drink. Or Ophie confessed to what she'd given him.

Jus babbled on about always loving me. I wondered, I hoped, the old Jus was back. But when he came back to his right senses? Who knew?

I held his hand and put a finger to his lips to shush him. Even though he was nearly unintelligible, I didn't want him saying anything he might regret. Outing us at this point, after so much effort to make our marriage look real, would make the whole charade futile.

"You are so not going to remember this." I brushed the hair off his forehead.

The paramedic riding with us smiled.

I texted Dex with a brief explanation and asked him to meet us at the hospital. He arrived shortly after they took Jus back to be examined. It was either late night or early morning depending on your point of view and whether you were a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full kind of person. We got coffee in the hospital cafeteria.

"What the hell are you doing in town and what happened?" Dex asked when we were seated with our coffee. "When I left Justin, he was going back to the suite to go to bed. And then suddenly all hell breaks loose."

He shook his head. "This better be good. I was on a winning streak. I had to leave a lucrative game of craps to get here."

"Poor baby." I had zero sympathy for him. "When you left him from doing what?"

"I asked first," Dex said with his impish smile.

"We aren't going to play
that
old game, are we?"

He raised both eyebrows and waited. As kids, we were always trying to get the best of each other and make the other go first.

"Fine," I said, not in the mood to play games. "Britt called me this morning to tell me Ophie had flown down here and I'd better get my butt down here and stop her from causing more trouble—"

"You're talking to Britt now?" He raised an eyebrow. "After she sent the email congratulating you on trapping Justin with a baby?"

"You heard about that?" I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup, trying to soak up some warmth. It was cool inside in the air conditioning. Or maybe I was just cold in my soul. Of course Dex knew about the email. He knew everything.

"Justin told me everything—about the email and walking in on you and Lazer."

I frowned. "Everything from his point of view, I imagine."

"Yeah," Dex said. "But I defended you. And Britt. I gave him all the logical reasons Britt wouldn't have sent that email. It just didn't make sense." He detailed them for me.

"Your logic is impeccable." I smiled just a little. Dex was always right on target. "She didn't. Ophie did."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" He took a sip of coffee and looked deep in thought for a minute.

I explained what had really happened. How Ophie had overheard Britt and me at lunch that day. And then sent the email from Britt's work computer. How she'd set Lazer and me up time and time again. And how Jus had walked in on something totally innocent.

"I admit that I was attracted to Lazer in the beginning. I mean, my 'marriage' to Jus was sudden and kind of sprung on me."

I lowered my voice and leaned close to Dex so no one else could hear. "It was just a business arrangement. And I'm human. But I fell in love with Jus. It's almost impossible not to."

I sighed. "What hurts so much is that he jumped to conclusions. Yes, I know from the outside it looked bad. But he knows me. He knew how I felt about him. Yet he didn’t trust me. He didn't hear me out. He just walked away." I blinked back a tear.

"You told Lazer you'd always love him," Dex pointed out. "That's more than a little condemning. Not easy for any guy to hear."

I nodded. "I was telling Lazer that, yes. But I wasn't finished. I was telling him I'd always love him like a friend or a brother. But Jus was the guy I'd always love. Hearing the whole thing makes all the difference."

Dex nodded. "Justin has always been insecure where you're concerned. Can you blame him?"

I took a deep breath. "If he and I are ever going to stand a chance together, he has to get over it. Looked at in a different light, he's way above me now, isn't he? With all his money? And the way I've fixed him up, he's hot. Women want him." My laugh was bitter. I paused, debating with myself for a second. "Jus is going to divorce me."

"That's been a given since the beginning," Dex said in his typical deadpan tone.

"No. I mean
now
." I swallowed hard. "Harry came to see me and warn me. It was nice of Harry. He wanted to give me time to get a good lawyer. For the baby." I kept the rest of what Harry had done for me secret, as he'd requested. "Don't tell Jus."

"Wouldn't dare."

"Your turn," I said. "What is going on here in Reno? What have you and Jus been up to?"

His eyes lit up and his voice grew excited as Dex filled me in.

"You caught her?" I paused, trying to figure out my warring emotions. "I'm relieved, of course. On the other hand, if she really is silenced, there's no reason for Jus not to proceed with the divorce now. Like Harry said he would."

I thought about the letter again. But that was the old Jus who would have done anything to keep me. This Jus, the one who'd walked out on me? I'd come to Reno to stop Ophie from causing more trouble. To talk to Jus and try to get him to see sense. Now, though, circumstances had changed. It was up to him to decide what he wanted to do. Time to set him free. Not that he needed that power from me. He had it all on his own.

"What about tonight? What's all this about Ophie drugging Justin?" Dex asked.

I filled him in on the details.

"You threw her out by her hair?" Dex actually grinned. He found the whole thing incredibly funny. "That's a catfight I'm sorry I missed. Way to go, Lala! I knew you had some good fight in you."

"Well, I caught her riding my husband. What else was I supposed to do?" I shook my head. "See what I mean? My first instinct when I walked in on them wasn't to condemn Jus, but to defend him." I swallowed a lump in my throat.

Dex reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "What are you going to do now?" Dex tilted his head, studying me. "Do you love him?"

"Crazily, I do." I laughed. "Do you remember in college when you told me I should marry him? He was just a scrawny, nerdy kid then." I laughed. "Well, I guess you were right. But times have changed. It's up to him now, not me." I paused. "Any advice for me?"

He shook his head and dropped my hand. "This is all your call, Lala. I'll back you up no matter what you decide. You know that."

I nodded. "I know."

I stared past him out the dark windows, seeing only what was in my mind's eye. It would be daylight soon. Time for a fresh start.

"I think I'll go home." I nodded, more to myself than anything. "Yes, I'll go home."

We sat in silence a second.

"If past history is any indication, Jus won't remember anything of this when he wakes up."

My phone buzzed. I had a text from the doctor. "Jus is going to be fine," I told Dex. "Roofies, as suspected. They're going to keep him for observation while he sleeps it off." I paused. "You'll tell him I was here. And what happened?"

"Yes, absolutely." Dex frowned. "You're leaving now?"

I nodded again. "When Jus finds out what happened, he'll be embarrassed. Maybe ashamed. In shock. He trusted Ophie. He's going to feel betrayed and hurt. I don't need to see that. I have no sympathy for her.

"He needs time to himself to think and sort things out. To figure out what he wants now." I paused again. "
He's
going to have to come back to me. If that's what he wants. I'll be in Seattle. He knows where to find me."

I grabbed my purse and brought up the menu on my phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling for a jet home and a ride to the airport." I winked at him. "And as soon as the sun is up, I think I'll call Sunshine Sheri and give her the scoop of the season."

"About what?" Dex asked.

"About Ophie." I laughed darkly. "The news is going to get hold of this story. I may as well get my side out and make an ally out of an enemy."

"You're an evil woman, cuz." He looked at me with admiration when he said it.

I shrugged and laughed, softly. "Aren't I, though?"

I
went back to Seattle
, picked Data up from Magda, and moved back to my West Seattle apartment in a single suitcase. Partly to make a point to Jus that I didn't give a damn about his money. Partly because I needed time to think.

Enough money made life easier. Too much made it both more luxurious and harder. But cash, by itself, didn't make life wonderful and worth living. Love and people did that. My apartment was warm and homey and, most of all, completely mine. Totally affordable, at least for the time being with the rent paid up for another nine months. And I had enough room for a baby. At least until the baby got a little older.

When Carl saw me coming in wheeling a gigantic suitcase and carrying Data, he rushed out of his office and gave me a hug.

"I saw Sunshine Sheri's show this morning about all the loonies who make up shit about sleeping with billionaires. I'm real sorry about what his assistant did. Looks like you're the hero of the story."

I shrugged modestly. "Sheri did a nice job with the story." I think she'd even redeemed herself with Magda, who asserted she'd never liked Ophie. And would now be watching Sheri's show again.

"She's doing a whole segment on your husband's assistant tomorrow." Carl's gaze took in my huge suitcase. "Didn't work out with the billionaire?" His voice was full of sympathy.

"Hiding from the media attention the story caused," I lied. Well, actually, told a half-truth. The same one I'd told my parents and everyone. "Until it blows over. Jus is out of town cleaning up the fallout and dealing with business. I got homesick rattling around the big penthouse. And tired of the reporters outside the building."

I stroked Data behind her ears and cooed to her before looking back at Carl. "I'd appreciate it if you kept it quiet that I'm back. Unless you want camera crews hanging around here, too."

"Absolutely. Speaking of secrets, are we going to be seeing that big, divorce-paper-serving guy again? 'Cause I can give him the heave-ho next time he shows up here if you want. Or deny that you're here." Carl was hard to fool.

I squeezed his arm. "I hope not." And I meant it. "If he shows up, though, show him in." I let go of his arm.

Carl nodded. "You got it, kid."

Data gave a happy yip.

Carl talked baby talk to her, which was hilarious coming from such a big guy, and scratched her beneath her chin. "By the way, I'll need a pet deposit."

"Charge it to Jus," I said. Well, why not? He owed me for sitting for his dog. Though some might say I'd illegally taken custody of Data.

After parking my suitcase and calling that settling in, I dove headfirst into my duties running Justin's charitable causes. The sample sale and gala was less than two weeks away. It kept me so busy I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on my circumstances.

Jus and I didn't speak or communicate. Every day I expected one of two things to happen—either to be served with a summons to Harry's office to finalize our divorce, or to receive a huge bouquet of flowers and an apology from Jus. Neither came. Each day passed quietly.

I heard through Britt that Jus fired Ophie. Though Jus managed to suppress the exact details of what had happened, the scandal spread through Flash amid a flurry of speculation. People couldn't believe what she'd done. Most people had known or suspected she was in love and obsessed with Jus. But that she would go so
far
was almost beyond belief.

Ophie was charged with various crimes, including assault.

The second-quarter numbers came out, and surprisingly Wall Street responded with a glowing assessment that sent stock prices soaring and made Jus a billionaire several more times over. I thought, cynically, that I deserved a share of the increase. Not that I wanted it. I didn't want anything from Jus except his love and financial support for the baby.

I had the beginning of a baby bump now. I couldn't help thinking Jus would have loved to see it. Maybe he did see it. Maybe he followed me online. Just in case, I posted pictures, hoping he was still keeping track of me.

J
ustin

I'd screwed up. Bigger than I ever had. Trusted the wrong woman. Didn't believe the right one. By the time I got out of the hospital, talked to the police, gave my statement, finished up some business, and returned to Seattle, Kay had moved out of the penthouse. With my dog. I didn't blame her. I'd expected it.

I didn't need time to think. I knew what I wanted. The same thing I'd always wanted—Kay. And now our baby. I was embarrassed and humiliated. I needed to win her back. I needed to make a grand gesture so she believed I was genuine. And I needed to do it when it was clear I no longer needed her for cover. That I had no ulterior motives.

Business took me out of town for over a week. And that was fine by me. The penthouse was too quiet. Even Magda had gone silent and sullen. She blamed me for the way things were.

I finally worked up the nerve to open Lazer's present. It was a special limited edition of his game. With a special level where I was the hero who saved the princess Kay. And she showered me with affection. And we lived happily ever after together. So, yeah, that game had been his way of apologizing.

Lazer called while I was in Paris on business.

"I wasn't sure you'd take my call," Lazer said when I picked up.

"To be honest, I should have called you," I said. "I owe you an apology. I jumped to conclusions—"

"Ah, hell, shut up, Justin," Lazer said. "I'm the one calling to apologize. What you walked in on that day was completely innocent, but I'd given you enough reason in the past to take it wrong. I'm a shameless flirt. You know that."