Queen, page 24
Cody would have glared, but he was so damned happy at what they’d just said, he didn’t quite know how to show it.
“So you think you know what’s on my mind?” he asked Donny.
“Oh, heck, Dad. I’ve known what was on your mind since day one. Remember, she’s quite a ‘babe.’”
Cody laughed and hugged his sons. “So, what you guys are telling me is that you’d have no objections if Queen lived here forever.”
“Right,” the younger ones echoed, wondering what all the fuss was about. They couldn’t understand why the meeting had been necessary. As far as they were concerned, she was already here forever.
“Absolutely none,” Donny added.
“And you wouldn’t care if I asked her to marry me?”
Will thought about it for a moment while J.J. sat and watched to see where Will and the wind blew. Whatever his brother said was usually fine with him.
“Does that mean she’ll still read us stories, and tuck us in, and bake really good stuff while we’re at school?”
“In spades, buddy,” Cody said. “In spades.”
Will grinned while the others laughed. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded like a “yes.”
“Okay, here’s the deal,” Cody said. “In a little while, Colonel Macon is going to be here. He’s going to take you guys into Snow Gap and help me set up a surprise for Queen. What do you say? Think you can handle that?”
“Yes!” they cried, and this time even Donny was excited about the prospect. He liked surprises, and he loved Queen. It was about time things began to happen around here that were good things.
“Then go get changed,” Cody said. “Put on some decent clothes, something that you would wear to school. I’ll give you each some money when you leave with Colonel Macon. But don’t spend it on yourself. This is for Queen. Today is her birthday, and she thinks we don’t know it. She’ll be really surprised when I bring her into town tonight and meet you guys and Dennis at the restaurant, right?”
“All right!”
The idea of spending money, even if it wasn’t on themselves, was exciting, as was the fact that they were going to be in on a surprise.
Within the hour Dennis had come and gone, taking Cody’s sons with him. Cody stood in the center of the big, empty house and listened, realizing for the first time how Queen must feel when they were all off on their own pursuits. It felt a little lonely, but also peaceful at the lack of noise. Will she care to spend the rest of her life this way, he wondered, always waiting for people to come home and make work for her to do?
Will my love be enough to get you through this, lady?
He could only hope.
Queen turned first one way and then another, staring at herself in the full-length mirror on the back of her closet door, and smiled in satisfaction. She looked fine.
Actually she looked more than fine, but it was beyond her fragile ego to see what an elegant woman she’d become. For the first time in her life, she looked the part of her given name—Queen. The cranberry-red wool dress did what it was meant to do. It was a showcase for her femininity as well as her style.
She tugged at the low-cut neckline and then fiddled with the sleeves that grazed her wrists, checking one last time to make sure no slip was showing. The shoes she’d spent so long picking out complemented the outfit to perfection. Best of all, the heels were high enough to bring her eye level with the man who’d stolen her heart.
She could hardly wait to see his reaction.
“Here goes nothing,” she said, grabbed her purse and coat, and left her room.
She’d been surprised upon returning from Snow Gap to learn that the boys had gone to town with Dennis. The surprise had turned to excited anticipation when Cody had offhandedly remarked that they were going out to dinner tonight to discuss the project. It would give her the opportunity to wear her new dress.
Of course, she had no idea that they were on to the fact that it was her birthday. She’d never told them, and no one had asked.
All day she’d been fighting a terrible case of the blues, trying not to think of how much she missed her sisters or that this was the first birthday without them.
Tears threatened as she remembered how each year Diamond would insist on baking a cake. And then she smiled, remembering that it was always an unmitigated disaster. Diamond could sing like an angel, but she couldn’t cook worth a darn.
A true gambler’s daughter, Lucky would always insist that the cake must have the exact number of candles or it would be bad luck. Last year they’d laughed and teased as they’d crammed twenty-eight tiny wax candles on top of Diamond’s culinary mess and completely obliterated the top of the cake. This year she would be twenty-nine years old…one year away from thirty…and it would pass without notice.
She took a deep breath. It was time to let go. The past as she knew it no longer existed.
She paused at the top of the stairs and smoothed down her skirt, suddenly nervous about Cody seeing her in something other than the familiar blue jeans and sweaters. And then she remembered his smile, and the way his eyes turned dark like a summer thunderstorm just before they made love, and knew that no matter what she wore, his favorite outfit would always be Queen as nature made her.
Cody heard her footsteps above as she came down the hallway and paused at the top of the stairs.
She’d come that far alone, and he was going with her the rest of the way. He bolted from his chair and into the hall, intent on making a big deal of escorting her down the stairs. He wanted her to know how important and special she was to all of them.
But he didn’t get far. When he looked up he had to hold on to the banister for support at the vision he beheld above him.
“Oh, honey.”
The way in which he whispered her name and the look on his face was enough impetus to get her down the stairs. “Do you like it?” she asked, a little unsure, a lot desperate for approval from the man who was her whole world.
Cody took her purse and coat and hung them both on the end of the newel post. He wanted to touch…to feel…but was afraid to mess up the creation.
“Like it? Lady…you take my breath away.”
His hands skimmed the soft fabric and then across her skin, testing the differences in textures as well as the differences in his woman. He leaned forward, closed his eyes, and inhaled. “And you smell fantastic.”
“It was a sample of White Diamonds. They gave it to me in the store when I bought the dress. I was saving it for something special.”
“Am I that something special?” he asked, and grinned at the blush that crossed her face.
“Well, I was hoping I’d see those boys in Donny’s class who think I’m such a ‘babe,’ remember?”
Cody laughed aloud and then couldn’t resist. He whisked her off her feet, whirling her around and around in the center of the hallway, and then watched in fascination at the way her hair billowed out behind her like a fan of autumn leaves and the way the dress molded to her body like a second skin.
And what he would later remember was that not once had she told him to stop, claiming that he was messing up her hair or her clothes. She was a far cry from the perfectionist that Claire had been. He considered himself a twice blessed man.
“Cody, put me down,” Queen finally gasped. “I’m getting dizzy.”
“Good, then I can take advantage of you,” he said, and nuzzled the curls at her neck, inhaling again the wonderful scent of Queen and the perfume.
“Advantage? I’ll say. I’m seeing three of you. I don’t know which of you to hold on to.”
This is it, he thought. Now is the time.
His fingers curled over the small jeweler’s box in his jacket pocket and, without removing the box, slipped out the ring and held it between his fingers. “Maybe if you see three of this, you won’t say no,” he said.
The smile on her face disappeared. Everything seemed to stop, including her heart. Twice she reached out, and twice she let her hand fall back, not believing what she saw, afraid that if she touched it, it would disappear.
“Cody?” Panic filled her voice. She was afraid to hope.
“I love you, Queen Houston. Why do you find this so hard to believe?” He cupped her cheek with his hand.
“It’s a ring.”
Cody grinned. “Actually, it’s a rather large white diamond. Do you think your choice of perfume was a unconscious portent of things to come?”
She shook her head, unable to speak.
“So…you can’t really read minds?”
She shook her head again and bit her lip, trying desperately not to cry.
“Then that means I have to come right out and ask, doesn’t it?” His voice was rich with laughter, his heart light from the joy he saw in her eyes.
At that point, if she’d asked for the moon, he couldn’t have told her no to save his soul. He grasped her left hand, solemnly separated her fingers, and held the ring suspended over the end of the ring finger.
“Queen Houston, it will be forever my honor and joy if you would consent to marry me. I will promise to love you…to care for—”
“Yes!”
He grinned. “Hunh-uh, honey. You made me do this the hard way, and I’m not through yet. Now you’ll just have to wait. Let’s see…where was I…oh, yes, caring for you. And I will. I also promise to protect…”
She started to cry.
“Oh, now, honey! Let’s not do that!” Suddenly at a loss for words, Cody quickly slid the ring on her finger. “Look, don’t cry. It fits!”
She sobbed even harder and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He sighed and held her. Women! Make them mad…they cry. Make them happy…they still cry. He was never going to learn how to do things right.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Queen said between sobs. “I’ll marry you, every darn one of you.”
Cody grinned with relief. This was the Queen he knew and loved.
“Thank you,” he said calmly as he dipped his lips toward hers. “You have made every darn one of us very happy.”
Queen inhaled Cody and tears, all at the same time. Wrapped in a swirl of love and White Diamonds, they sealed the bargain with a kiss.
Cody hustled her into the Blazer, and they headed for town. Queen leaned against him in satisfied silence and was all but mute until they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant.
“Do they know?” she asked.
Queen’s hesitant question came just as he braked and parked. Cody grinned. Just like a woman. Wait until the last minute to start an important conversation.
“They knew I was going to ask you. They don’t know that you said yes.”
Even in the shadows within the vehicle, he saw her blush.
Cody grinned and grabbed her chin, planted a quick, hard kiss on her half-opened mouth, and then felt his gut kick and his manhood get hard as her eyes slid shut and she leaned into his embrace.
“Hold that thought,” he whispered. “We’ve got a party to attend.”
Queen sighed, tasting what was left of Cody’s kiss as she traded the warmth of the Blazer for the sharp bite of night air.
The restaurant parking lot was more than half full with skiers lingering in hopes of another heavy snow or some action in one of the other tourist attractions Snow Gap offered.
She shivered as the wind plastered her dress against her legs and suddenly wished for her old blue jeans and boots instead of the fragile stockings and slender-heeled shoes. Being sexy and being comfortable were not always synonymous.
“Oh, God, Cody. Suddenly I’m scared to death to face your sons.”
“You can’t be half as scared as I was, fearing that you’d tell me no.”
“I haven’t told you no since we met. What made you think I’d start now?”
She walked into the restaurant slightly ahead of him, leaving him with nothing but a smile on his face and an enticing view of her backside.
“Coming?” she asked as she turned at the door.
“God, I hope not,” Cody said, and then laughed aloud at the shocked expression on her face. “At least not yet.”
Dennis Macon looked up at the sound of her laughter and felt his gut kick twice in rapid succession. He could tell that she’d been asked. And then he took another look at the smile on Cody’s face and knew that she’d said yes.
It was the final proof he needed to assure him that he’d never been in the running except in his own mind.
“Hey, boys,” Dennis said. “I think we’ve got a winner!”
Three pairs of equally blue eyes stared. Three dark heads nodded solemnly in perfect unison. They’d known it all along. They didn’t know why grown-ups made such a big deal out of the obvious. Queenie loved them. It stood to reason she would marry them.
Dennis stood up as Queen came to the table. “Let’s see the ring,” he said quietly.
It was what she’d been waiting for. She held out her hand, and Dennis took it, looking deeply into the sparkling facets of the stone and then into her eyes.
Queen caught a look on his face that she hadn’t expected. For a moment thought seemed to become word, and for the first time since she’d known him, she realized that at one point he’d harbored a hope of his own. He leaned forward.
“Congratulations, angel. I hope you’ll be very, very happy.”
The kiss he left behind was swift and sweet, and Queen smiled through tears at Cody’s best friend. “Thank you, Dennis. I already am.”
Then it became a fight between Will and J.J. to see who would sit on the other side of Queen. Only her calm, firm control of the situation would ensure that none of her men was left out of this special night.
“One can sit on one side, one on the other,” she said, begging Cody with a quick look, hoping that he’d forgive her for abandoning him so quickly. “I don’t think your daddy will mind too much. He’s got me for the rest of his life. Tonight he’ll just have to share, right, guys?”
“Right!”
Cody’s heart was too full to answer. All he knew was that his lady had not only taken him to love, she’d enveloped his sons as if they were her own. Then he realized that in her heart, they already were.
“Okay, guys,” Cody said, “but later…when it’s time to…you know…I get the ringside seat.”
They all nodded and then giggled with delight at the surprise still in store for their Queenie.
Wally Morrow stood on the street outside, slid a sharp, bony finger beneath the edge of his long blond wig, and scratched. Damn, but these things itch, he thought.
He stared at the family assembled at the table inside the restaurant, saw Queen Houston proudly displaying a gleaming diamond ring for all to see, and then watched her accepting congratulations. He grinned. He’d seen what he’d come to see.
Out on bail, and in serious disguise, he pulled at the groin of his tight ski pants and wondered how in the hell men breathed in stuff like this. He felt as though he’d been canned in nylon and latex, and he feared for the future of his heirs, should he decide to have some.
“Okay, Mrs. Whittier, I’ve got your proof. And believe you me, it’s going to cost you big time.”
He scooted across the street, trying to affect a macho swagger that men who wore clothes such as these were prone to do. In no time he’d packed, paid his bill, and was in his rental car, heading out of town. He’d seen all he cared to of Snow Gap, Colorado, and the Bonner family. He still had nightmares about that crazy redhead and that wild man who’d dumped him on his ass.
But he’d done what he set out to do and drove away with a small smile of satisfaction. He’d never walked out on a case yet, and this one was going to come to a neat close. It was going to cost Lenore Whittier a bundle to find out that her grandsons were about to obtain a new mother.
“Who’s ready for dessert?”
Cody’s question was met with shrieks and giggles that made Queen frown. What on earth had gotten into them? And what was so funny about dessert?
Cody waved toward their waiter and then turned to Queen with a smile.
She looked at Dennis, then at the boys, and then back at Cody. Something was definitely up, she could tell by the innocent expressions on their faces.
And then the waiter came out from the kitchen, carrying a cake three stories high and blazing with candles.
“Happy birthday!” they all shouted, and then their faces fell.
She was crying, all-out sobs through a smile that barely made it.
“Oh, my!” she said, and then repeated it over and over. “I didn’t think anyone knew. I’ve never been so happy in my entire life. Thank you, boys, for everything.” She slipped an arm around each of her seat mates and winked at Donny, who was trying not to look as pleased as he felt.
“Daddy…if she’s happy, why is she crying?” J.J. asked as he leaned toward his father and slid out of Queen’s hug.
Cody grinned and ruffled J.J.’s hair as he calmly handed Queen his handkerchief. “Lesson number one, son. Women always cry when they’re happy.”
“Then what do they do when they’re sad?”
“Cry.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Will said, looking at his father as if he didn’t believe him.
“That’s what makes them so special. You never get bored because you never understand them. Get it?”
Will sighed. “Maybe I will when I get bigger.”
Donny laughed. “I don’t know, Will. No one is bigger than Dad, and he still hasn’t got a clue.”
And then the cake became the center of attention.
“You have to make a wish!” Donny said.
Queen looked around the table at the people with whom she was sharing it. “It would be hard to wish for more than what I already have,” she said.
And then she thought of something, and her face grew solemn. She felt suddenly overwhelmed by the enormity of the occasion.
She took a deep breath, leaned forward, and blew. The candles went out, and all that remained were tiny wisps of gray smoke filtering up from their burned tips as their life was extinguished.
