Erase His Pain....
C
arolyn Thornton was dead and buried, and Ted and Victoria were snuggled in bed, talking in quiet tones about the events of the day.
After the grave site burial, they decided it was best that Victoria take Alexandria back to the hotel instead of to the family gathering at Carolyn's house. “It's as if she's been drugged,” Victoria had said with a worried expression.
Alexandria had slept through lunch and had awakened for only a few brief moments after Ted returned to the hotel later that afternoon.
Seeing that none of them were in the mood to go out for dinner, they ordered room service again. Alexandria was unusually quiet during their meal, and afterward she turned down a chance to watch cartoons in favor of going to her room to play with her new doll before going to bed.
“What's wrong, sweetie? Do you want to talk about what happened at church today?” Victoria had asked as she helped Alexandria into her nightgown.
Alexandria shook her head. “No, Mommy. I'm sleepy,” was her answer before she curled up and drifted into deep slumber.
“I'm worried about Alexandria,” Victoria said as she nestled close to Ted. “I hope she'll be all right once we're back home and she gets settled into her normal routine.”
“Me too.” Ted nodded. “I should've let you lead on this one. I know you didn't want her to attend the funeral.”
“It's over and done with now. Let's just move forward. Isn't that what you always say?”
“You're right.” He smiled.
“I know you'll probably be here a few more days, but I think Alexandria and I should fly back tomorrow.”
“Actually, I was thinking I'd fly back with you, get some things situated at home, then come back here next week and tie up a few loose ends. I'll call Jen first thing in the morning so she can make the reservations.”
Victoria looked into Ted's eyes. “How're you feeling?” She was amazed that he was as calm as he appeared to be, given the circumstances. He'd told her that Charlie didn't show his face at the grave site or back at the house, which had probably been a good thing for everyone involved.
“I'm okay,” Ted replied. “It's been hard, and I'm glad it's all over.” He rubbed his tired eyes. “With the exception of my lunatic of a brother, Mother's service was exactly the way she had wanted.”
“I'm glad,” Victoria said, sounding fatigued.
“V, how are
you
feeling? You haven't slept in days.”
“I'm good,” Victoria lied. “You know how wound up I get. I'm just worried about you and Alexandria.”
“I'm worried about Alexandria, too, but I'll be fine. Don't worry about me.”
Victoria snuggled even closer to Ted, running her fingers over his chest, feeling the rise and fall under the weight of her hand. She wanted to erase his pain. Other than her father, he was the strongest man she knew, a quality that had always made her feel safe with him. But she also knew that even the strongest of men had their breaking point, and she wondered when his time would come. She wanted to tell him that it was okay to cry, something she hadn't seen him do yet. She made out the shadow of his face and raised her head up to his. “I love you, Ted.”
“I love you, too,V.”
She enjoyed the softness of his lips and his steady hand on her back as he gave her a slow, gentle good-night kiss, quieting her worries.
I Knew He Was Gonna Be Trouble....
It was Wednesday morning, one full week since Victoria had attended her mother-in-law's funeral. And although it was the middle of the week, it was her first day back in the office. From the moment their plane had landed,Victoria had made herself busy working from home, meeting with clients at off-site venues, running errands, and most important, keeping a watchful eye on Alexandria and Ted.
She was still sleep deprived, because she hadn't gotten a moment's rest, and now her body was beginning to betray her, making her feel sluggish and tired. But her one bright spot was that she was glad to be back in the comfort of her office, and now she was sharing the events of her trip with Denise.
“Girlfriend, shut up!” Denise gasped as Victoria recounted the events of Carolyn's funeral. “You mean to tell me that Ted's brother carried on like that?” she said, shaking her head.
Victoria nodded as she stood in front of Denise's desk. “You should've seen him. Charlie cried and wailed like he'd just lost a limb.You'd never know that other than visiting Carolyn at the hospital right before she died, he hadn't been to see his own mother in over six months. And that's a real shame, because he lived only fifteen minutes away.”
“Humph.” Denise scowled. “That's low-down. The ones who cry the loudest are always the ones you have to watch.”
“You got that right. And that's why she didn't leave him a dime.”
“Well, I'll say one thing. Your mother-in-law might have been a strange woman, but she knew a rat when she smelled one. Every mother knows their child,” Denise said, shaking her head again. “He got what he deserved.”
“I think that's the general impression the entire family shares.”
“I know this must be hard on Ted. How's he doing?”
“You know him, always so strong and resilient. He'll be okay, but it's certainly taken a toll on him. Especially with the number his mother pulled about that crazy deathbed confession.”
Victoria knew it was wrong to be mad at a dead person, because it was a wasted emotion, but she was upset about the unnecessary aggravation that Carolyn had caused. Not only had she kept her terminal diagnosis a secret from everyone, something she should have immediately shared with her family, but she had also carried on about her secret like she'd been hiding the location to buried treasure. She'd caused Ted to worry over something so miniscule, and Victoria couldn't understand why. Carolyn certainly wasn't the first person to rise from less than dignified beginnings.
“I never pictured Carolyn as the overly dramatic type,” Victoria continued. “But that little act about her big secret took the cake.” She didn't want to reveal that Carolyn had gone through the trouble of keeping the information locked away in a safe-deposit box, so she simply told Denise and Tyler that Ted had learned about his mother's past from their family attorney after her funeral. And what she also didn't say, despite her natural inclination to believe her husband, was that deep down she felt there was something still hidden about her mother-in-law's past.
“Girlfriend, I told you there was something wrong with that woman, and how much you wanna bet that there's more to that story than meets the eye?”
Victoria wanted to say she agreed, but simply nodded her head in reply.
Denise sucked her teeth. “Family,” she huffed as she leaned across her desk to answer an incoming call. She frowned when she looked at the caller ID displayed on the shiny black phone. “Divine Occasions,” she said in an unusually stern voice.
Victoria knew it couldn't be Gigi, because she and Gary were still on their honeymoon in the south of France, and it couldn't be anyone Denise knew, because she would have called them by their name. And she was fairly certain that it couldn't be a client, because Denise always treated customers with courtesy. “Who is it?” Victoria whispered.
Denise waved her hand and flicked her wrist. “She's not in. I can take a message.”
“Who is it?” Victoria whispered again.
“No, I can't transfer you to her voice mail, because it's full,” Denise lied. “But as I said, I can take a message.”
Victoria knew that her voice-mail box wasn't full, and that whoever was holding on the other end of the line was someone that Denise clearly didn't like, given her harsh tone and bold lie.
A second later Denise hung up the phone, mumbling to herself. Victoria sat down on the love seat across from her desk in the small reception area of their office suite. “Who was that?”
Denise rolled her eyes. “Dr. Parker Brightwood.”
Victoria's throat went dry, and the air became thick and muggy, despite the cool BTU's pumping through the central air vents. “You've got to be kidding.”
“He's been calling for the past two days, but he refuses to leave his name or a message,” Denise said. “But he knows that I know it's him. He tried to get the number for your direct line, but I wouldn't give it to him, so now he wants to leave voice messages. You know I'm not about to let that happen. Girlfriend, I knew he was gonna be trouble.”
Victoria raked her fingers through her hair and scooted to the edge of her seat. “Are you sure it was him?” she asked, knowing it was a silly question.
Denise looked at Victoria like she was crazy, choosing not to confirm what they both already knew. “I know you've got a lot on you with Ted grieving, plus worrying about Alexandria's emotional state, too, but you've gotta handle this before it gets out of hand.You can't have that man calling up here for you, tryin' to chase you down,” she warned.
Victoria knew that Denise was right. Parker was persistent, the type who wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. She bit down on her bottom lip and closed her eyes. “Shit!” she hissed.
“Yeah, that's exactly what's gonna hit the fan if you don't get this under control.”
Victoria stood and paced back and forth. She didn't want to deal with Parker. He'd e-mailed her the day she left Boston, and she had received another message from him two days after that. She had deleted them both and had barely thought about him again, managing to push him to the back of her mind so she could give Ted and Alexandria her full attention.
Even though Alexandria seemed to be returning to her old self, Victoria was still worried about her. She wondered what lasting effects Carolyn's funeral might have on her daughter's young psyche.
After Victoria talked to her mother, telling her about Alexandria's behavior, Elizabeth offered to keep her granddaughter for a week. Although she and Ted had already planned to send Alexandria down to North Carolina for a visit at some point during the summer, Victoria wasn't sure that now was the right time. She wanted to keep her daughter close by her side so she could monitor her mood. But Elizabeth's plea finally convinced her that taking the trip was exactly what Alexandria needed.
“She needs to know that even though her granny Carolyn went away, Nana Elizabeth and Grandpa John are still here,” Elizabeth had said. “Besides, it will give you and Ted a break during this difficult time. And with all the cousins and family friends we've got down here, she'll have a ball,” Elizabeth declared, making her case as solid as stone.
Once she and Ted discussed the pros and cons, they both agreed that a visit with her grandparents would be good for Alexandria, and it would also give them time to decompress. Ted still needed to tie up a few loose ends in Boston, and Victoria needed to catch up on her rest and business activities, which had gone neglected over the last two weeks. Elizabeth had booked a flight to Atlanta and would be there tomorrow to pick up her grandchild, then head back to Raleigh, where Alexandria would spend the next week and a half.
Victoria's anxiety level rose another notch as she continued to pace the small reception area, thinking about her daughter, thinking about her husband, and now thinking about Parker. It seemed that he was determined to get under her skin and back into her life.
“Girlfriend, don't let that fool get on your nerves,” Denise said. “You need to set him straight, real quick!”
Victoria stopped pacing, knowing exactly what she needed to do next. “Hold my calls,” she said as she headed back to her office.
You Feel So Damn Good....
Ted sat behind his desk, ready to end his long day. He'd been up to his neck in meetings and phone calls since he returned home last week. When they landed at the airport, his car service had chauffeured Victoria and Alexandria in one direction, delivering them home, and then had taken him in another, dropping him at his office. Normally, Victoria would have complained if they had returned from a family trip and he'd headed straight for the office. But this wasn't a normal family trip. She knew that he needed space, and she did, too. So she'd kissed him good-bye and told him that she'd see him later that evening.
Since returning home, they'd both been coming and going like passing vehicles on a crowded highway.Victoria had been busy with the everyday juggling act that came with being a wife, mother, and businesswoman. Ted had been preoccupied with the pressures of ViaTech and wrestling with the knowledge of the family secret he had discovered. They hadn't been connecting with each other, and he knew that the stress of everything was beginning to take over his life.
He leaned back in his chair, trying to focus his mind on the financial prospectus in front of him instead of the complicated thoughts running through his head.
“Ted, do you need anything before I leave?” Jen asked as she stood in the doorway of his office.
Ted looked at his watch. It was almost eight o'clock, and he knew that his assistant was more than ready to get home to her family, but she was loyal and would stay until midnight if he asked her to. Even though he was in no hurry to return to his own home, he knew that she needed to get to hers. “No, I've got things under control.” He smiled. “Go home and have a good night.”
The petite brunette peered at him through the thick lenses of her tiny, retro-inspired glasses. “Ted, you really should get out of here, too,” Jen said. “Go spend some time with Victoria and Alexandria.You all need each other right now.”
Ted knew that no truer words had been spoken. Jen was his trusted right hand, and other than Victoria and his good friend Barry, she was the only person he could share things with in complete confidence. He had learned long ago how dangerous it could be to open up his world and his heart to the inspection of others. His first wife had taught him that lesson.
“You're right. I'll be leaving a few minutes after you,” he said and nodded.
“All right. Have a good night,” she said. “And I hope you're really going to leave soon.”
Ted gave an affirmative nod as he watched his assistant leave the office. He wanted to linger at his desk for as long as he could, but he knew she was right. He needed to go home.
Going home at the end of a long, hard day had always been something he looked forward to. He loved his wife, and he loved his child. They were the two most precious things on earth to him, and knowing that they were waiting to greet him when he walked through the door was the comfort that soothed him. But since unearthing his mother's long-buried secret, each time he came home and looked them in the eye, he felt a well of guilt and uncertainty gripping at his heart.
Before they had left Boston, when they were lying in bed the night of his mother's funeral,Ted had wanted to tell Victoria the truth. But he knew that he couldn't. He was suffering from a guilty conscience, and it was beginning to wear on him.
He couldn't tell Victoria about the strange incident that had happened when he was sitting in front of his mother's coffin at the grave site, receiving condolences from the line of mourners as they passed by. An older woman who hadn't been in the church during the funeral service had walked up and hugged Lilly's neck, then his. She had leaned in close, giving him whispered words of sympathy, and then had discreetly slipped him an envelope. He'd tucked it away in the pocket of his suit coat and read it once the limo dropped Victoria and Alexandria off at the hotel. The contents of that envelope were one of the reasons why he was about to make a trip to Jackson, Mississippi.
He planned to fly to Boston, as he had told Victoria he would do, so he could spend time with Lilly and meet with Abe Brookstein again. But instead of staying until Monday, as he'd led Victoria to believe were his plans, he would cut his trip short and head to Jackson, where he knew he would find all the answers he was looking for.
Keeping secrets and telling lies were things he didn't want to do. He'd been lied to in his first marriage and deceived at the highest level. He knew how wrong and damaging keeping secrets could be. He'd seen how telling Victoria one lie had already led to a string of others. But right now he felt he had to continue down that road, so he could find resolution within his own mind before exposing the truth to those he loved.
Ted stood and stretched, trying to relieve the tension that had seized his chest and upper back. He looked at his watch again and knew he needed to get home soon so he could read Alexandria her bedtime story. Victoria's mother would be in town tomorrow to take her back to North Carolina, so he wanted to spend as much time tonight with his daughter as he could.
A half hour later, Ted pulled into his four-car garage, turned off the engine of his vintage black Jaguar, and sat for a few moments of quiet reflection. He took a long, deep breath, then got out of the car, opened the door, and entered his house. Everything was quiet on the first floor. The large gourmet kitchen was dim, the spacious family room was dark, the stately dining room was pitch-black, and the elegant formal living room was empty. His home felt as dead as his mother's hospital room had.
But as he approached the banister at the bottom of the sprawling mahogany staircase, everything suddenly came to life. He saw light and heard the soft voices of the two people he loved most, making his heart rejoice and ache at the same time.
He thought about the effect that knowing the truth might have on them. For Alexandria, it wouldn't cause much turbulence, especially since she was still so young and couldn't understand such complicated matters in the first place. But for Victoria, he knew that finding out the long-buried truth would have a huge impact. The truth would throw her for a loop, and he wondered how life and the dynamics between them would change.
He climbed the stairs, taking them slowly as he listened to the hushed whispers and soft giggles of his wife and daughter. When they heard him approach, Alexandria called out to him. “Daddy, you're home!” she said with excitement.
Ted marveled at the feeling of pure joy that ran through him every time he heard the word
daddy.
He stood in the doorway of his daughter's room and smiled, realizing that his dread of coming home had all been for naught. Seeing his wife and child was the dose of medicine he needed, and even with the heavy troubles on his mind, they were still the best part of his day.
He loosened his tie as he leaned against the open door. “Yes, princess. Daddy's home.”
“Mommy,” Alexandria said softly, “Daddy can finish reading me my story now.”
Victoria wasn't the least bit fazed that her daughter had basically dismissed her. She simply smiled and held the big storybook up in the air for Ted. She knew that Alexandria always looked forward to this part of her evening, when her father read her a bedtime story.
Victoria rose from the bed and walked toward her husband. “You can take over from here.” She gave him a quick smile and headed to their bedroom.
Less than ten minutes later, Alexandria was out before Ted finished the book. He kissed her on her forehead, turned off her light, and headed down to the end of the hall. He longed for the peace of mind he hoped would be waiting for him in the comfort of his wife's arms. When he entered their bedroom and looked for Victoria, he found it empty. He realized she was in the shower when he heard the sound of running water.
He stepped out of his shoes and dress socks, spreading his toes over the cool hardwood floor beneath his feet. He smiled as he listened to the quirky, off-key tone of Victoria's voice, laughing at her attempt to sing in the shower.
The steamy heat and the sweet smell of her shampoo lured him in, and he watched her through the frosted glass of the shower stall. He looked at the flickering scented candles that lined the Jacuzzi tub on the other side of their master bathroom. Victoria had decided to jump in the shower at the last minute, instead of taking her requisite long soak in the tub, which she usually relished after a long, tiring day. After their chef-inspired kitchen, the bathroom was her favorite room in their house. It was her in-home, private spa retreat.
Ted inspected her long, lean body as she stood under the showerhead. He studied her movements as she seemed to meditate in the relaxing stream of water that kissed her smooth chocolate skin. She threw her head back, rinsing the last of the shampoo from her hair.
At that moment, Ted wanted her so badly, he hurt. He stripped down in a matter of seconds, leaving his clothes in the middle of the floor, where he'd been standing. He walked over and opened the shower door. “Want some company?”
Victoria jumped, slightly startled at first, but then smiled and turned to face him. When she saw that he was dripping with desire, it ignited a flame in her that was ready to match whatever Ted had in mind.
He stepped in, wrapping his arms around her wet body, rubbing himself against her warm skin. He kissed her deeply while his hands slid down her behind, cupping each of her soft, round cheeks. His tongue met hers, darting in and out, grazing her lips and teeth, making her moan.
Victoria reached for her bottle of shower gel. “Scrub me down,” she purred, squirting a generous amount of the delicate-smelling liquid onto her netted sponge before handing it to him.
Ted did as he was instructed. He loved the way the sudsy white lather coated Victoria's silky brown skin. Slowly, he rubbed the sponge across her shoulders, moving down her back and onto her hips, concentrating his efforts there. He made circular scrubbing motions with one hand while he held her steady with the other.
His excitement was building, and so was hers. He positioned himself behind her, letting the sponge fall to the tiled floor, near the drain. He was ready to move on to a more immediate task. Gently, he guided his hands down the front of her thighs before landing in the soft spot that always made her quiver. She let out a small gasp as his skilled fingers danced inside the warmth that greeted him between her legs.
“Mmm,” Victoria moaned.
“Oh, V,” Ted panted into the back of her neck, rolling his tongue over her delicious-tasting skin. He pressed his erection against her backside as he moved one hand up to her breast, gently tweaking her nipple, while his other hand continued to pleasure her below. “You feel so damn good,” Ted whispered in her ear.
Victoria leaned her slender back against Ted's broad chest, tilting her head until it rested on his shoulder. She spread her legs farther apart as she ground against his nimble fingers. The mixture of warm water and her hot wetness drove him wild. Gently, he turned her around to face him, positioning her against the shower wall. Victoria's back tensed when she felt the cold tile touch her skin, but the sensation was quickly replaced by Ted's heat. He lifted her left leg, holding it in place around his right hip as he plunged upward, going deep inside her, working her middle at a slow and deliberate pace.
“Oh, yeah,” Victoria moaned as Ted filled her inch by inch. His thrusts were hard and powerful, pumping in and out as he leaned against her body for balance. She ground against him, lifting her other leg around his waist. She locked her ankles together above his hips and let out a deep moan as he gripped her bottom in his hands, holding her steady while he pounded and stroked her at the same time.
This was one of Ted's favorite sex-in-the-shower positions. He closed his eyes, enjoying the pleasure he felt surging through his body as he made love to his wife against the shower wall. “V, I love you,” he moaned against her shoulder, continuing his pace as the warm water beat down on his back.
Victoria's rhythm started to slow, and she felt herself ready to explode.
Ted could see that she was reaching her breaking point, and it turned him on even more. “Are you almost there?” he whispered in Victoria's ear, delighting in the fact that he knew she was. He used steady but gentle force to lower her body, sliding her down the wall for deeper penetration as he plunged into her, gliding in and out while he moved his hips. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, his favorite spot, not missing a beat of the rhythm he'd established. He stroked her up and down in an urgent frenzy as they both moaned, inhaling the warm steam that filled the room. When Ted heard the slow and familiar high-pitched sound escape Victoria's lips, he pumped her with even more determination.
“Ohhhh,Ted. I'm there,” she called out.
Ted's pleasure quickly met hers, slowing his hips as he emptied himself inside his wife. They stood still, locked together in place, letting the water rain down to soothe their skin. They kissed each other in hungry little nibbles, enjoying the pure exhaustion of their lovemaking. After they caught their breath, they bathed one another, taking their time to caress each other's skin.
Afterward Victoria blow-dried her hair, a feat that always took no less than twenty minutes, while Ted unwound in bed. He waited patiently until she finished and finally slipped under the sheets, snuggling close to him. He spooned her from behind, feeling the first small bit of peace he'd had in over a week.