Beauty and the Beast (21 page)

I love you and will write to let you know how I’m doing.

Alexis

Bruce remembered Bobby well. The man used to smack Alexis around. When Bruce tried to intervene, Bobby beat him also. Bruce’s mood was quickly moving from depressed to something far worse.

“It’s not a good time for me to talk.” He pushed away from his desk and stalked over to the wet bar.

“But you’ll love my surprise.”

“Please, Alexis,” he bit out. “I need a few minutes to gather myself.” He grabbed a bottle of water out of the mini-fridge, twisted off the cap and poured the water over his head. The cold water trickled over his face and body, and stopped the progression toward rage. Dealing with whatever Alexis had in store for him required a shift in his mood.

Nefertiti. Who could have known making love could be so sweet? I should have pursued her years ago.
After Alexis finished playing whatever mind game she had in store for him today, he had some serious making up to do—for lost time and affection with Nefertiti. He drew in several ragged breaths, and his body hardened in anticipation of—

“Bruce!”

Ripped out of his daydream, he snapped, “What?”

Face scrunched and head tilted to the side, Alexis neared him, apprehension clear in her cautious steps. “I… I thought you were having some sort of attack.”

Confused by the concern in her voice, he could only stare. He recovered and shrugged off his surprise. Alexis didn’t care about him. She was up to something. He was no longer a little boy who put his faith in his mommy. In his heart, his mommy had died when he was nine—the first time he’d read the note.

“I’m fine.” He tossed the empty bottle in the trash. Visions of Nefertiti had redirected his mood, and he didn’t want to ruin it with Alexis’s games. “What do you want?”

“Well, Bruce.” She smoothed down her powder blue skirt, then sat on one of the barstools. “I… I want to apologize.”

Instead of laughing in her face and throwing her out, he decided to wait and see what exactly she was up to. Janis had already told him she’d pitched a fit about Victoria being the owner of Maxwell Manor. Victoria could hardly support herself when she took Bruce in, yet she’d never hesitated. The way she’d bolted into the observation room and snatched him into his arms the first night, he knew at least one person loved him.

Last night he’d heard Victoria and Anna trying to convince Nefertiti not to come to him. For a brief moment, he’d been transported to the porch again, being abandoned by someone he thought loved him. He’d gone to the corner to die emotionally, if not physically. If Victoria was afraid of him, then—

That’s it!
Now he truly understood how Nefertiti felt about her parents’ rejection. Dr. Herman had planted the seed, and though Bruce knew in his mind what Nefertiti was going through, it hadn’t registered with his heart until now.

“Bruce, are you paying attention? I said I apologize,” Alexis said so nastily she negated her apology.

“Apology accepted. Now have a nice life.”

“Don’t you want to know what I’m apologizing for?”

“I’m a busy man. I don’t have time for your games.” White dress shirt drenched, he unbuttoned it. He hadn’t bothered to wear his suit coat.

“Look, I’m sorry about the way I left you with Victoria. At the time I wasn’t ready to be a mother, and I knew Victoria would provide a good home for you.”

… if you give him to the state, I fully understand,
ran through his mind. He’d never shown Victoria the note, and Alexis obviously had no idea he’d seen it. “Oh please, Auntie Vic was only eighteen, had to drop out of college and worked herself half to death to support us. Yes, she provided me with a downright outstanding home, but she shouldn’t have had to give up her dreams for minimum wage jobs to raise your child.” He swiped the residual water off his face and head with his shirt, then tossed it to the side.

“I apologized for what I did to Victoria years ago. Whether you like it or not, she has forgiven me. I’m not here about Victoria. I’m here about you.”

At a loss for words, he watched her round the bar and embrace him. The water from his T-shirt soaked into her powder blue blouse, but she didn’t seem to mind. She hadn’t touched him since he was three. This felt forced, but he thought he might be projecting. Nefertiti had been correct last night, and his jumbled emotions didn’t allow clear thinking. Though he’d told himself she was dead to him, a teeny-tiny part of him still wanted his mother’s love.

“I’m worried about you. Mommy’s back, and I’m here to take care of my little boy.”

“Worried about me?” He drew back. “What are you talking about?”

 
“My only child hates me, and my only sister barely tolerates me.” She turned away from him. “I’m lonely and I truly regret not being there for you. I don’t want you to end up like me.”

“I don’t hate you. I just don’t like you.”

Her bitter laugh saddened him. “I guess I deserved that.” She returned to her seat on the stool. “I’m going to start being someone you can like.”

“I didn’t mean to…” He hadn’t spoken out of anger or to hurt her, but from his heart. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s all right. Six months of therapy has shown me that I’ve given you more than enough reasons not to like me, but you’ll see, I’ve changed.” She perked up and lightly tapped the padded stool next to hers. “Which leads me to my surprise.”

Leery, he sat on the stool. She hadn’t given him anything but heartache since the action figures he received on his third birthday, and he wouldn’t be surprised if Victoria had actually given them to him.

“You’ll never guess who I met a few weeks ago,” she said excitedly. “Elaine Gamble!”

His enthusiasm didn’t match his mother’s. Actually, he wasn’t enthused at all. Elaine was a black American princess and raised to marry well. He knew Elaine through social events he’d attended with her husband. Eugene Gamble, one of the country’s top defense attorneys, adored his wife. She was an attractive woman, but Bruce couldn’t see himself married to someone who thought deciding which designer dress to wear any given day constituted a hard day’s work.

Nefertiti came to his mind. She owned six art galleries in America and two overseas. Like him, she’d made it through college on scholarship and clawed her way to the top of her profession. Now that he could admire!

“I’ve heard she’s very nice.” He glanced at his watch. Nearly noon, and he still had a few more calls to make regarding Dixon Textiles before he could spend the rest of the day in bed making Nefertiti scream.

“Oh, that isn’t the half of it. And her daughter… Oh my, I couldn’t believe how stunning she is. She’s going on twenty-three. Young and full of life.”

“I’m sure she’s nice. I know I’m at home, but I work from home. I’m busy. Can we get on with this?”

“I’m coming to that, Bruce,” she said with cheer in her voice. “I know how busy you are. That’s why I’ve made arrangements for you.”

“For me to what?”

“I’ve spoken with Elaine, and she agrees.”

“I’m happy for you, but agrees on what, Alexis?”

“That it’s time for the Maxwells and the Gambles to join forces.”

What little patience he had deserted him when she started babbling about Elaine Gamble. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about. You know what? Keep your surprise. I don’t even care anymore.”

“Just two more minutes. Please.”

“Fine, but get on with it.” He wondered if Nefertiti was still in the flower garden and could he convince her to take a stroll over to the creek. Before the weather turned chilly, he’d make love to his water ninja in the creek.

“Tiffany Gamble, that’s Elaine’s daughter, was raised to be the wife of a powerful businessman. She’d stay out of your way while you conduct your business, she’d be there for you to grow old with, and she’d give you as many children as you’d like.”

I know I’m not hearing what I think I’m hearing.
He replayed her words, yet each time they sounded as if she had arranged for him to marry some kid barely old enough to drink legally.
Nah, I couldn’t have heard right. Alexis is crazy, but not that crazy.

“Excuse me?”

She held out her perfectly manicured hands. “I know this is a bit of a shock for you, but you aren’t getting any younger, and you’ll never find a wife cooped up in here. She is perfect.”

She’d arranged his marriage?

“I was thinking an October wedding. The grounds of the estate will be so beautiful then.”

“Is Candid Camera back on TV, or am I being punked?”

Alexis looked confused.

“This isn’t funny,” he continued.

“I’m not joking, darling. I know this is coming at you from out of the blue, but give it a chance. You’re a healthy, red-blooded man. Once you see her, I know you’ll know how fortunate you are I claimed her for you before someone else could snatch her up. Do you know how much the Gambles are worth?”

A sad chuckle shook him. He’d known Alexis’s apology and reconciliation were too good to be true. She had her eyes on Gamble money, and would pretend she loved her “demon seed” to obtain it.

“No thanks, Alexis.”

“Just meet her once.”

“No.”

“Please, Bruce. Let me at least try to bring a bit of happiness into your life. She’s in the flower garden waiting for you.”

“Oh shit! Which one?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

N
efertiti darkly shaded the top left corner of the page and worked her pencil with a lighter touch the closer she came to the center of the page.
The doctors are wrong.
With practice, her stroke would return. She’d already seen serious improvement in the weeks since she’d left the hospital. She would regain a hundred percent of her mobility and be a better artist.

She heard footsteps creep behind her.
You’re losing your touch, fire ninja.

“Oh,” a woman gasped. “I mean...”

Nefertiti spun around and saw a nice looking young woman dressed in a mint green summer pantsuit straighten her posture and wipe the shock off her face. Though the young woman couldn’t see Nefertiti’s face, she could see the scarring on her arms and upper chest. Nefertiti’s first instinct was to cover herself, but she fought it.
Time to start getting used to people’s reactions.

“I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’m Tiffany, Tiffany Gamble.”

Nefertiti noted Tiffany had plastered the most believable fake smile on her face, but didn’t offer her hand to shake. “Pleased to meet you. Welcome to Maxwell Manor,” she said to help break the ice.

“Oh, so you work here. Well, I’m glad to see Bruce hires all types of people.” Her smile turned genuine.

Instead of correcting Tiffany, she allowed the woman to sit with her and talk and talk and talk and talk. The Energizer Bunny had nothing on this woman’s mouth. Nefertiti’s ears became exhausted from listening to her.

“… and I like you so you have nothing to worry about. You’re my first friend here. After Bruce and I are married, I want you to stay on.”

Nefertiti’s ears weren’t so tired that they hadn’t caught Tiffany saying she was marrying Bruce. “Wait a second, Tiffany. What did you say about marriage?”

All thirty-two of her pearly whites beamed. “We’re having an October wedding. Can you believe it,” she squealed, “I’m actually going to be Mrs. Bruce Maxwell. I know he’s a little older, but he’s hot!”