A Summer to Remember

chapter Twenty-Five

“So, you’re really happy here?”

I looked over at Savannah who had cornered me in the kitchen as I checked on the caterers. All of our family and friends, including the members of both bands—Scarlet Fever and Winter’s Regret—were in attendance to see our mini-mansion we’d purchased in the Summerlin community in Las Vegas.

We had a large backyard, a beautiful pool with midnight blue tiles which was lit up by pool lights. There were guests everywhere and as long as the food and the booze continued unabated, the party would be a success.

“Yes, of course, why would you ask that now?” I inquired as I sampled a deviled egg which were topped with Beluga caviar.

“Well, I mean…you know what happened between Jude and I…how are you so sure he won’t trade you in for a model with all her working parts? There are just so many gorgeous women out here.”

The “working parts” phrase bothered me to no end because apparently, I wasn’t so broken after all. I was, miraculously, six weeks pregnant and to top it all off, Paul and I were in the middle of a private adoption with a poor Creole woman from New Orleans who had been gang-raped in a rough part of town. The rapists were of all races, including black, Hispanic and white so she had no idea who the father of her child was but her story swayed Paul and I enough to want to adopt her baby.

We had a guest house which she’d occupied for the past two weeks and at thirty-seven weeks, she could go into labor within the next few weeks.

“Savannah, Paul and I are adopting a child together yet we haven’t set a date for our wedding. I am pretty sure we know what we’re doing.”

“Yeah, about that. Why didn’t you just tell the adoption agency you wanted a white baby?”

“There is a year-long wait for a white baby and neither Paul nor I cared about that. We just wanted a child to cement our relationship—”

“Yeah but you’re only twenty-four. You should be out partying and living it up. Don’t you think the two of you are too young for children?”

I set my fluted glass of sparkling cider down and faced my bitter best friend. “Listen, I get it—my brother acted like a piece of shit toward you and he ended it really badly with you but don’t you ever think that gives you the right to tell me how to live my life. I love Paul and Paul loves me. I would have been a mother anyway or did you forget about the abortion I had over two years ago?”

Savannah bit her lip and crossed her arms against her breasts possessively. “Sorry. I suppose I am a bit out of order here. I just miss you and I can’t believe I have to endure a six hour flight to see my best friend.”

“Autumn is still back there so you’re not alone.”

“Yeah but you’re here and Talia is…well, all over the goddamn world with Winter’s Regret.”

I smiled slightly and patted Savannah’s left shoulder. “I really should mingle. I am the hostess after all but we’ll talk more later, okay?”

Before she could answer, I strolled away and joined Talia who was in a group surrounded by several members of Scarlet Fever. They talked animatedly and I touched her shoulder before I inquired, “Is everyone having a good time?”

“This party is great,” Grant replied, “especially when you think about all the stuffed shirts around here rubbing elbows with scallywags like us.”

I laughed out loud before I shook my head. “Well, you’re Paul’s clients so who cares what the stuffed shirts think? They aren’t paying our bills, you guys are.”

Will finished his pilsner and looked down at his empty stein glass. “Looks like I need a re-fill. Wanna come and let the women talk?”

I silently mouthed “Thank You,” to him before I turned toward Talia.

Since she’d joined Winter’s Regret, one would have thought she would have become less feminine instead of more. Unfortunately, she still painted her short nails dark colors, wore makeup and sexy clothes. Her hair was as long as it had been since we’d left Vassar and she looked great even if she had a thorn tattoo around her upper arm on display in a sexy black Versace dress.

“You are positively glowing and don’t give me it’s the Vegas air bullshit because it’s dry as hell out here. Do you have something to tell me?” she greeted before she sipped from her Jack Daniels and diet Coke.

“No. Everything is wonderful and Paul couldn’t be happier. We both love it here and I am actually scoping out sites to open another branch of Maison des Artistries. Vegas could always use a little bit more culture,” I replied evasively as I looked around at other party guests.

“You have always been such a shitty liar. What the hell is going on here, Jerrica? Seriously? If you don’t tell me I’m going to ask Paul.”

I smirked before I sipped from my sparkling apple cider. “Ask away because he doesn’t know anything.”

Talia’s pale green eyes searched my face before she clamped her right hand over her glossy red lips.

“Yes, and I am still in my first trimester so you can’t say anything. We never bothered to use birth control because every overpriced gynecologist in Manhattan told me I couldn’t get pregnant naturally so why pump my body full of chemicals if I didn’t need them? My current OB-GYN still thinks I got pregnant with the help of fertility treatments but on my life, Paul and I didn’t go in that direction. We were interviewing potential candidates for the adoption procedure.”

Her hand finally dropped away. “Listen, I won’t tell anyone but I am so happy for you. I’m scared to hug you though. And I just hope you telling me won’t jinx you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Either it’s meant to be or it’s not, Tal. I’m happy to tell someone after having gone through the third degree in the kitchen with little Miss ‘I’m bitter your brother left me and why didn’t you adopt a white kid’ Savannah. I couldn’t take anymore of her negative talk. No wonder she acted a bit skittish when I mentioned Autumn…you know how selfish that chick is—”

“Yes, we do and her relationship with Brandon is going very well so Savannah is yet again left out in the cold. It must be hard on her, you know. She’s the only one out of the four of us not in a relationship and if that isn’t bad enough, she runs into her ex at functions like these because he’s your brother.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “What am I supposed to do? Pick between them? Savannah is one of my best friends but Jude is my sibling and blood is thicker than water.”

“Yes but he is also dating another tall, statuesque model type and that probably shattered her self-esteem.”

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around my waist and Paul set his chin on my left shoulder. “Whoa, look who’s smokin’ hot tonight. You look absolutely gorgeous, Talia.”

“Am I needed in the kitchen?” I asked my fiancé in a weary voice.

“No, but you might be needed out by the pool. Jude and Savannah are arguing. Turns out she is really good at hiding how shit-faced she can get and every embarrassing thing she can think of, she is telling a crowd of people.”

“Good Lord, she’s gonna turn your party into the Jerry Springer Show,” Talia murmured before she downed the rest of her JD and diet Coke. “Let me handle this. I’m used to dealing with rowdy people now. Being in a rock band will do that to you.”

I smiled at her before she turned on her stiletto sandals and marched directly outside.

Paul turned me around in a gorgeous dance move and I snuggled in his arms. “What would we do without her?”

“Well, we could have handled it ourselves but I didn’t see that ending very well.”

“Neither did I.”

My fiancé kissed my lips quickly and sighed. “I can’t wait until this party is over. I want you all to myself. Is that selfish of me?”

I stared into his crystal blue eyes before I smiled. “No, because it’s what I want too. It’s all I have ever wanted…and that hot sexy bod of yours.”

He looked at me with an intensity I would never get used to before he whispered in my ear, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I replied out loud though I kept my voice low.

We’d made it through the hurricane of awful rumors, vicious innuendos and a pregnant ex-girlfriend. I was pretty sure I could make a life with this man and he would be mine for the rest of our lives.





Epilogue



It was autumn and we were getting ready to attend the wedding of one of my best friends. Since she lived back east, we had to fly and our son, Paul Eric Peterson-Branson, did not appreciate the flight even if we’d been in first class. Paul had spent almost the whole flight walking little eight-week Eric, as we called him, up and down the halls of the plane.

Suffice to say, we were happy to have the new edition in our lives. I was officially seventeen weeks pregnant and out of the danger zone according to my doctor. Now that we had a son, Paul was secretly hoping for a little girl but I had a feeling our second child would be yet another boy. His ex-girlfriend, movie star Kendall Lawson, had also recently given birth to a little boy so he was zero for one in that department as far as a daughter was concerned.

Although Eric was not our biological son, we had fallen in love with him immediately. He’d been born to his Creole mother white as snow and even now at eight weeks, his skin was still pink. His hair was dark and silky and he possessed the most gorgeous gray eyes.

His birth mother had stayed on for a while until I could find a Milk Bank that sold pasteurized breast milk. He was the healthiest and happiest baby alive except when he was on a flight thirty thousand feet in the air.

Paul and I quickly settled in at the Waldorf Astoria though Jude was kind enough to offer us use of the loft. It was a good idea in theory but despite Paul and I still being engaged, we were our own little family unit and didn’t want to be disturbed.

I settled on the bed and quickly propped up my feet as soon as possible while Paul took care of Eric. After a warm soothing bath and a bottle of pasteurized breast milk, our little one was out like a light.

My thoughts drifted over the past few months and how they’d been absolutely sweet and amazing. I had found the perfect spot for my art gallery and it would be up and running before December of that year. Paul had found working with a bunch of rock stars much easier than any client at CDG Investments. Yes, he traveled often because there times he had to see them and they were still on the road touring. Sometimes Eric and I went with him and sometimes we didn’t.

I finally had met a group of friends through my Pilates class and though they would never take the place of my best friends, I was content and happy with my new life.

My story was far from over because what was once me has now become “we” and I no longer am that cynical young woman who doesn’t believe in love, miracles or fairy tales.

Paul walked into the room and lay down beside me as soon as he’d undressed and stripped down to his boxers. One of his favorite activities was spooning me and wrapping an arm around my growing stomach.

“Have I told you how much I love you lately?” he asked in a gentle voice filled with warmth and affection.

“Yes but I will take as much as I can get before I’m too big and too many,” I responded before we laughed together.

“I need to make an honest woman out of you and Mother is bothering me constantly. She wants us to meet her on Sunday with your parents and my father in tow. We are to talk about a summer wedding.”

I smiled at him with a wry look on my face. “Sounds perfect to me.”

“Yes, but this was our summer that we will always remember because I fell in love with you.”

I touched his face before I kissed him passionately on the mouth. As we separated, I said, “And next summer will be the one we will never forget because we will finally become husband and wife.”

Paul started to undress me as we kissed, fondled and caressed one another before a long evening session of lovemaking. There was only one thought in my head and it repeated in my head over and over again.

He’s the one for me because we both love each other and can accept one another for who we are with complete honesty, open hearts and undeniable trust.

It would not only be our theme at our wedding but our saying too. I’d finally found the one for me and not only was he simply amazing but we were in love with one another. We weren’t perfect but we didn’t have to be and that was the beauty of our emotions.

We could have knock-down, drag-out passionate disagreements yet the next minute cozy up to one another and ask for each other’s forgiveness. When Paul wanted to make me laugh, he would remind me of the Palmetto bug incident that happened in Florida.

Beautiful, perfect and flawless never entered the picture but we didn’t have to be because each of us was a puzzle piece completed by the other and that was my idea of perfection. Our life was just beginning and I knew I would enjoy the ride as much as the destination in all of its glorious imperfection.

The End