Flight to Paradise (Flight Trilogy, Book 1) (23 page)

She felt flushed and totally surprised, but excited and tingly all over. Without having to think, she said, “Yes!” Then jumped up and wrapped her arms around him.

“Not so fast!” Her father’s stern voice blared out. “Son, you might be able to fool these women, but I see your game. If you’ve come here thinking I’m going to give you my blessings to marry my daughter after only spending a couple of hours with you, you’re sadly mistaken.”

“Sir, I—” Rex attempted to speak.

“Daddy! What are you doing?”

Barb turned to her husband. “Ronald!” Reserving his full name for when she was angry. “This is Keri’s decision. Can’t you see your daughter is in love? Please, don’t spoil it for her.” She turned to Keri. “Honey, it’s going to be okay. Your father just needs some time.”

“You are so right, Barb. I need some time,” he said. “Some time to check this young man out before I consent to letting him marry my daughter.”

“Mom? Please! Do something with dad.”

Barb said, “Ronald, could I talk with you alone?”

“That’s okay, Mrs. Hart,” Rex said, “We’ll just wait in the den.” Rex urged Keri to follow him.

Once in the den, Keri hugged Rex and said, “Don’t listen to my dad. He acts like that when he is not in complete control. He can be a real ass. My mom will take care of him.” Keri and Rex made faces at each other as they listened to the heated debate in the adjacent room.

“Ronald, I don’t know what your problem is, but you are NOT going to ruin this special night for your daughter! You should be happy for her.”

“The boy is a player. He’s no good. Can’t you see it? Or are you just as blind as she is?”

“What are you talking about? Rex is a wonderful young man, and Keri loves him. Don’t you trust your daughter?”

“Are you kidding? Keri couldn’t see the real Rex, even if she wanted to, and by the looks of it, neither can you. Amazing! What is it with you women? He was groping Keri right in front of our eyes. I can only imagine what he does when they are alone.”

“For God’s sake, Ronald, they are two adults in love. What do you expect?”

“I expect a little respect!”

Keri peeked into the dining room just in time to see her mom deliver her final ultimatum to her dad.

Barb stood, leaned in close, and said in a normal but firm tone, “Let me tell you what you can expect. Either you will change your tune, or I will make your life a living nightmare. And if you don’t think I can do it, just try me.”

* * *

Without responding, Ronald rose, calmly left the dining room, and headed for the den. It was clearly a waste of time to argue with his wife. If she approved of Rex, there
would
be a wedding. He planned to make sure Rex knew exactly how he felt.

He approached Rex and Keri. “Keri, would you excuse us for a moment?”

“No! I’m staying with Rex.”

“It’s okay,” Rex said. “Let me talk with your father, alone.”

She reluctantly moved away and back into the dining room.

Before Ronald had a chance to speak, Rex said, “Mr. Hart, I think once we spend a little time together—”

“Rex, I’m not stupid. You forget, I’m a man, too, and I can see through your little game. As you have probably assessed, I’m a very wealthy man, but my daughter is, by far, the most valuable thing in my life. I’m not about to stand by and watch some
surfer
dude
come along and ruin her life.”

“Sir, I promise you, I have no intentions—”

He raised his hand. “I don’t need to hear any more. When it comes to other people’s intentions, I spend my life reading between the lines. As for you—”

Rex spoke his mind, respectfully, but firmly, “Sir, I love your daughter, and you know you can’t stop Keri and me from getting married.”

“No, son, you’re right, I can’t stop you from marrying my daughter, and if my wife has her way, she will ensure Keri doesn’t have to elope. But I just want you to know I’m on to you.” He turned and looked toward the dining room, then back. “I just don’t understand why Keri can’t see you for who you really are.”

“Mr. Hart, I’m not the monster you make me out to be. I’m perfectly safe, and I love your daughter.”

Ronald silently stared at Rex for a moment, then said, “Son, face it, you know you’re not ready to take on the responsibility of providing for a wife.”

“Sir, I would have agreed with you before I met your daughter, but Keri is an exceptional woman.”

“How much?” Ronald asked.

“Excuse me?”

Ronald lowered his voice and continued, “How much will it take for you to walk away…forget you ever met Keri.”

“Are you offering me a bribe?”

“Call it what you like.”

“Sir, I can’t believe you would think I could put a value on the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

“Oh, come on Rex. You know you don’t love her. So, what’s your price…five thousand, ten thousand…twenty? Just name it.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“Believe it! And believe this: regardless of how this plays out, if you ever hurt my daughter, I will hurt you—a hundred fold.”

“I’m out of here.” Rex turned and headed for the dining room.

“Keri, I’m leaving. I can’t stay here. Your father just tried to pay me to dump you.”

“What!” Keri turned to her mom, her face twisted in torment. “Mom, do something with him!”

Rex started for the stairs, “I’ll just grab my bag and be out of here. It shouldn’t be a problem finding a hotel. Keri, I can pick you up in the morning and we can fly back together on the first flight.”

“Rex, please don’t go,” Barb said.

“Mrs. Hart, thank you for your hospitality, but I think it would be better if I did.”

“I’m going with you,” Keri said.

Ronald stood silently, leaning up against the door frame between the dining room and den, thinking. It obviously wasn’t going to be easy, but he loved his daughter and wasn’t about to let some “dude” from California ruin her life.

Keri turned and burned a stare into his face. “You are disgusting!”

He knew Keri didn’t mean it; if she could only see past the smooth exterior of this creep, she would understand.

“Keri, I only want the best for you, and trust me, I have my doubts about this one.”

“Ahhhhhhh!” Keri screamed through clenched teeth. “Unbelievable!”

In the business world, when it came to people, Ronald Hart had dealt with much tougher situations than this. He had learned in conflicts, when someone is pulling against you, sometimes the best solution is not to resist, but to go with the pull. This results in the opposition losing their balance, making the negotiation process easier. It was apparent the smooth-talker from California had blinded Keri
and
his wife. The last thing he needed to do was enter into a long protracted tug of war with two women, trying to convince them of the deception buried deep within their hearts. For now, he planned to go with the pull.

* * *

Rex slipped off to retrieve his bag from the guest bedroom, smiling all the way. Keri’s mom loved him, and that’s all that mattered. Her dad’s little stunt to buy him off was tempting, but he knew there was a much bigger prize waiting, once he was officially “family.” With her mom eating out of his hand, and a time-bomb in her old man’s chest, the future looked bright.

CHAPTER 38

New
York
City

April
1986

It was Monday, April 21st. The wedding Keri had dreamed about since she was a little girl was only a week away. Her mother had done a masterful job of pulling the reins in on her father, and though he continued to show a cautious acceptance of Rex, as his soon-to-be son-in-law, he could not stop the wheels of fate.

Keri’s mother made sure Atlanta would never forget her daughter’s wedding, especially the high-society types. Her effort rivaled that of any corporate marketing blitz. A close friend who worked at the
Atlanta
Journal
helped her coordinate the campaign. In every Sunday edition of the
Journal
, during September and October, she’d featured the upcoming wedding with a big splash filled with impressive photographs and background information on Keri and Rex.

Several posh Atlanta retail stores, popular among the upper-class clientele for their bridal registries, also planned to use poster-size pictures of Keri dressed in her bridal attire in conjunction with store promotions and announcements of new lines of china. She capitalized on every possible opportunity to ensure her daughter’s name took front billing among the local gossip buzz.

After saturating the local markets, she broadened her campaign by submitting articles of interest for brides-to-be—
How
to
Plan
a
Dream
Wedding
;
The
Perfect
Wedding
;
Make
Your
Dreams
Come
True
—to the national magazines,
Modern
Bride
and
Elegant
Bride
, with photographs featuring Keri and Rex. Senior editors were quick to print her submissions after seeing the sizable contributions sent with each article.

Even the date for the wedding was strategically selected: Saturday, April 26th. April ensured the full effect of the magnificent beauty of budding azaleas, blooming dogwoods and magnolias.

Her mother’s desire for a fairy-tale wedding had even led her to research the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. Unable to match the scale and grandeur of such a royal celebration, she felt victory of sorts by touting the fact—mostly among her gossiping socialite acquaintances—that the guest list to her daughter’s wedding would easily surpass the 3,500 in attendance at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Keri had one last trip with the airline before starting a two-week vacation. On Tuesday morning, after her trip, she’d fly to Atlanta and begin the pre-wedding festivities: luncheons, shopping, and last-minute details. Rex would join her on Thursday, two days before the wedding. She and Rex had both arranged to take the week off after their wedding for a wonderful honeymoon in the Cayman Islands.

* * *

The elevator doors opened in the lobby of the Park Central Hotel in New York City. Although she had not ordered the eight thirty wake-up call, seeing the beautiful day made her thankful the hotel had made the mistake.

She paused briefly and scanned the lobby, checking to see if she recognized anyone from her crew. In addition to the unscheduled wake-up call—strange but not uncommon—a message with a man’s voice simply said, “Keri, I’ll meet you in the lobby at nine thirty.” She didn’t recognize the voice, but did remember mentioning to both pilots they were welcome to join her the following morning for a walk. After scanning the lobby, preferring to spend the day alone, she quickly continued out the front doors of the hotel onto 7th Avenue.

Located directly across from Carnegie Hall in Midtown, the hotel offered airline crews a great location from which to explore the city on foot: Central Park, three blocks to the north; Times Square a few blocks south; and the Theatre District and Rockefeller Center only a short walk away.

She always enjoyed New York layovers, especially in the spring. She breathed in the morning air. A slight chill of wind rushed across her face. The forecast promised a near perfect day with temperatures in the mid sixties. The cloudless morning sky gave way to the warmth of the sun as it slowly dissolved the shadows from the towering skyscrapers.

She paused briefly drawing in the warm morning sun. After a relaxing walk in the park, she planned to grab a take-out lunch from one of her favorite delis and head over to her dad’s condo on the Upper East Side. The luxury condo sat empty most of the time, as it was primarily used to entertain business associates. Surprisingly, her dad had mailed her the key at the beginning of the month and offered for her to use the place the next time she was on one of her New York layovers; a little “pre-wedding gift” he wanted to give her.

She glanced down at her watch: nine thirty-five. With her pick-up to the airport not until three thirty, she looked forward to spending some time alone reflecting on the exciting changes ahead of her. She was only days away from becoming, Mrs. Rex Dean.

Hello
,
Mrs
.
Dean
.
Hi
,
my
name
is
Keri
Dean
. She liked it.

Walking north on 7th Avenue toward Central Park, she stopped after only a few steps. A man exchanging money with a street-side vendor for one of his bagels caught her attention. He was dressed in jeans, tennis shoes, and a light blue knit shirt underneath a navy sweater—much like most tourist or pilots. She moved closer. “Ryan?”

Ryan Mitchell turned after hearing his name. His smile was immediate and pleasant. “Keri! How are you doing?” He gave her an innocent hug.

“Great! How about you?” She stepped back. Even though it had been almost two years, with her life finally on track, she was ambushed on the spot by galloping horses in her chest and knees wanting to buckle. She was certain he noticed the instant paleness in her face. What did she expect? He was the first man she ever loved—and still loved.

“Doing good. What a coincidence to be on a layover in New York on the same day.”

“Yeah, amazing.” She nervously pushed through, pretending everything was normal. “So, how’s Emily?”

He paused, looking away as though searching for the right words. “She’s good.” He quickly redirected the conversation back to Keri. “You still enjoying California?”

“Yeah. I especially
love
the weather…and there’s so much to do,” she said. “How is Emily adjusting to Texas?” Keri knew if she didn’t focus on Emily, the conversation was certain to go in directions she hoped to avoid.

He folded the paper bag around his bagel. “She wasn’t too fond of it at first, but I think she’s slowly accepting it.”

“I can understand why she might have issues with Texas, especially the heat.”

He stepped aside to let a man place an order with the street vendor. “Listen, I was planning to take a walk up to Central Park. I’d love for you to join me. It would give us a chance to catch up on things.”