Destined, page 15
“He’s tenderized and ready to broil,” James boasted.
“Oh, be nice to him,” Alice said. “After all, he’s going to be our next president of the United States of America.”
Considering what I’d just read, I couldn’t run away. If I was going to win the war, I would have to convince them I was willing to move fast to reach their goal and then move even faster to obtain mine.
“The Saturday after next,” I said.
The silence held their curiosity.
“Bree and I will get married the Saturday after next.”
Eighteen
BRYN BLACKSTONE
The designing was moving along at a good pace. Eden kept randomly asking if I was okay and then offering her version of words of encouragement.
“Screw him. Screw him and the white horse he rode in on,” she said while Alana and I hung window-curtain samples.
“Eden, with all due respect, talking about Jamison doesn’t help me forget him. So could we just pretend he never existed?” I asked.
“Oh. Sure.”
And that was the last time we mentioned Jamison Cox. For the rest of the day, I let Alana show Eden some design choices that I’d never thought of. Then, by late afternoon, three of Claudia’s light fixtures had arrived, and we agreed that they looked lovelier in real life. Eden had become such a new fan of Claudia’s work that we decided to fly to Southern California later next week so that we could look at some of her custom-designed headboards and other light installations that could be used for wall features. We also shopped for more of the special touches, like lamps, trinkets, rugs, and other essentials. By the end of the day, I was wiped and still ignoring all the long gazes Dale was throwing my way as he tried to obtain my attention. I was disappointed in the old me for always giving in to his flirting, even when he’d done it in front of his new girlfriend. The old me had been satisfied to know that it didn’t matter whether Dale was with someone else—he would always be mine. However, the new me was proud to be repulsed by his behavior.
When Alana, Alex, and I piled into the SUV, I announced that we would be moving to the Blackstone estate that evening. Our rooms had been readied, and a private chef was already preparing dinner. “And Alana…” I said, my voice more vulnerable than I wanted it to sound.
I had given her the front seat, so she turned to face me. “What is it, Bryn?”
“I think I should fly out to California in the morning.” I had to get out of town and let some serious family time wipe away my happy memories with Jamison by replacing them with new ones of my nieces and nephew.
“Absolutely. I think you should too,” she said before I could ask if she could handle all the tasks we had planned for Friday alone. “Danika, Glory, and Ross are flying in from LA tomorrow, so we’ll have plenty of muscle.” She reached for my hand, and I gave it to her. “Plus, with Dale gawking at you that way, maybe you should just take next week off too.”
“I wanted to punch the guy in the face,” Alex said.
So they’d noticed, which meant I wasn’t imagining things. I’d been giving the job at Eden’s a lot of thought. Eden had blindsided me with Dale. If I’d known he would be there, I would have done one of two things—asked that he not be there or cancelled our appointment.
“I think it’s time to make the healthiest decision for myself and let you take the lead on the rest of the project, Alana, even the shopping.”
She smiled and kissed the back of my hand. “Good job, Bryn. Of course, I’ll take the lead. Plus, for the most part, we're set. We already know where we're going. From this point onward, it's mostly project management and tweaking, and I can call you whenever I need your input and guidance.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. The back of my throat was too tight to say much more than that.
We arrived at the spa and packed our things. Before vacating the suite, I stood in the living room, arms folded and eyes closed. I couldn’t stop my soul from searching for remnants of whatever energy Jamison had left behind. The thing was, I truly loved him, and that couldn’t go away so easily. Also, my affection for him hadn’t developed in a span of three days. Our love for each other began at that restaurant in Santa Barbara. My sister-in-law had passed out, and he raced me to the hospital as fast as he could as we followed the ambulance. I could feel myself fighting my attraction for him as we sat in the car together. He asked me a boatload of questions, like where I’d been, what I did, what I liked, and if I’d ever seen this or that. The more I talked, the more I rejected him. I kept telling myself that he was too straitlaced. The truth was, I was afraid that he wasn’t crazy and damaged enough. I would have had to take Jamison Cox seriously. When we began working together, we would have still, quiet moments and occasionally share a chuckle. Then I would get away from him as fast as possible. Then one night, his persistent chase resulted in him catching me. Wow, what an amazing night we spent together. In the morning, I’d known Jamison Cox was the one I’d never suspected existed.
I opened my eyes. The empty, cold suite was still and hollow. Maybe I’d fooled myself back then. Maybe I should have given Kat’s doctor friend a fair shot. A doctor was a man who had his act together. I was no longer afraid of that kind of guy.
“I’ll do it,” I whispered. I would take a stab at dating another guy who was the opposite of Dale Rumor.
There was a knock on the door, and I was satisfied with my decision when I let the bellman in to take my luggage downstairs to the SUV. Yes, I loved Jamison, but it was best that I make a vow to leave our love, if that was what it was, in the room where we’d last been together. No more—Jamison would never have another opportunity to hurt me again. Never.
“Look at this goddamn place,” Alana said as we arrived at the gates of the estate. “It’s almost as large as the resort we just left.”
The Blackstone mansion in Vail looked like a summer castle made for royalty. I’d never stayed in it, and as the gates rolled open, I realized why. I had a lot of excuses for choosing to lodge at the resort rather than the mansion. My gaze took in the eaves, chimneys, and nicely placed windows. I narrowed my eyes at the glass facade and conjured a picture of Randolph standing under the chandelier, looking out the window. He wore a crow mask and a black tuxedo. I felt I’d seen him in that getup, but I couldn’t place where or when. However, I knew he’d been engaged in some kind of licentious behavior. All the family properties held his dark secrets.
If only the air could talk. If only the stairs and doors and secret hallways could record history. I fought the urge to hyperventilate. My body shook as Alex drove up the curving road toward the big house.
“Have you been here before, Bryn?” Alana asked. Fortunately, she seemed clueless about what was going on inside me.
“Never,” I said as normally as possible.
“The estate is fantastic.”
The closer we got, the more activity we saw. A white van was parked in front of a side door, and people were carrying crates of food into the building. We made it to the three-level parking structure, which had enclosed glass walls. A number of cars were already there.
“Who’s here?” Alana asked, examining our surroundings in awe.
“More than likely the house staff.”
“What the—” she whispered. “I counted sixteen cars.” She turned to face me. “That many people?”
I nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
Alana narrowed her eyes. “Are you okay, Bryn?”
I was tired of saying I was fine when I wasn’t. Being there, after everything else that had happened to me recently, reminded me that I was still in recovery, and in order to not relapse, I had to start using my tools and telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
“I’m scared. You both read the book about my family. Well, this place has seen a lot of Randolph’s sins. If it were up to me, I would’ve had the entire estate demolished and rebuilt before I stayed here. But we’re here now, and it’s a go. So just bear with me.” I took a deep breath.
“Damn, I never thought about that,” she said.
“Me neither,” Alex added.
I put a hand on both their shoulders. “I’ll get through it. One step at a time, heh?”
Alana put her hand on top of mine. “We’re here with you.”
I wanted to say thank you, but instead, I yawned and then slapped my hand over my mouth. “Sorry. I just want to go to bed.” Lack of sleep, after nights of making love to Jamison, was catching up to me.
“Well, ladies, let’s get the show on the road,” Alex said.
Alana beamed at him. He was taking charge of a difficult moment, and I suspected she found that sexy enough to make her want to bang his brains out.
Inside, the mansion wasn’t as bad as I thought. The temperature was perfect, and the decor, which was modern and homey, made the place comfortable. I was surprised the furniture wasn’t gaudy. Randolph had been into that old-world baroque decor. Heaviness. He liked everything heavy, even the air.
“Bronwyn, how are you, my dear?”
I stiffened once I recognized the voice and then quickly turned around. I covered my mouth with both hands and gasped. I wanted to say his name. But instead, my feet automatically walked me over to William, our family butler from the former Newport estate, and I gave him a tight hug. We’d grown up with him, and next to Jasper, he’d been our main caretaker.
“What are you doing here?” I exclaimed, feeling more relaxed. “I thought you retired.”
He said Jasper had asked him to train two new butlers, and since I was spending upward of two weeks at the estate, they decided Vail was the best place to do it. We met the trainees, Leon and Gregory. They both appeared to be in their early fifties, and knowing Jasper, they’d been well vetted. Leon showed Alana and Alex to their room. They’d stopped trying to convince me that they weren’t sharing a bed.
Then William showed me to my room. “Have you ever lodged in the estate before today?”
I yawned. “Never.” My eyelids were so heavy.
“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully. “Notice the decor.”
“I have,” I said as we walked in front of the glass wall on the left side of the hallway. It was growing darker, but well-placed lights brightened the grounds below, and the snow glowed on a nearby ski slope. The view was majestic.
“Randolph never visited this particular estate, although many of his famous friends had. This is where he chose to wine and dine and impress guests.”
My mouth fell open. “No parties with underage girls or body parts cemented into the walls?”
“Not here, my darling.”
I instantly relaxed, as if every cell in my body took an enormous sigh of relief. The air was clean, and there would be no evil spirits calling in the night, choking me in my sleep and making me feel paranoid. We walked in thoughtful silence until we reached a large, beautiful room with a king-sized bed, which had a lit accent built-in wall feature made of raw crystal rock, behind the smooth royal-orange leather headboard.
“Wow,” I said. Suddenly, I was in sensory overload as I took in the teardrop chandeliers above two royal-blue velvet chaises with white leather backs, both facing the foot of the bed. “I would’ve totally bought those for this space.”
“Yes, I was told that the room was designed with you in mind.”
My mouth remained open as I admired the white faux fur rug on top of light wood floors. Those, too, would have been my design choices. “Tell me there are no secret passages.” If there were, that would ruin everything.
“Jasper had them merged into the main house four years ago. The work was done on all twenty-three Blackstone properties around the world.”
Suddenly, my insides felt as if the sun had risen over my heart. “Jasper designed this house?”
“Yes.”
“But he never told me.”
William chuckled in his very contained manner. “We both know your brother will never say so unless asked.”
“True.”
I gave the space a second and third once-over. It was easy to see that my brother knew me well. “Thanks, William.”
He bowed then asked me to call him on the extension if I needed anything else. I requested dinner in my bedroom with water and hot tea service. I was too drained to sit at the dining room table and make conversation.
After eating, I dropped my robe, crawled into bed naked, and didn’t wake up until my alarm blared. I hadn’t slept well since a week before my brother’s wedding. I’d taken on the task of planning the ceremony, since the bride and groom had graciously agreed to hold it at the renovated Newport estate. I’d worried myself to death, making sure everything was perfect.
My alarm woke me up at eight forty-five in the morning. Alana and Alex would have left for Eden’s house forty-five minutes earlier. My flight to Santa Barbara left at ten o’clock that morning. I was taking the family airplane, so I felt no pressure to make it to the airport two hours before boarding call.
I stretched and yawned and then picked up my phone to call Eden. I wanted to personally let her know that Alana would be taking over as project manager. But then I saw that I had a missed call and a text message alert from Asher. He’d called and texted me an hour before. I must have been too deep in sleep to hear either. I quickly returned his call, and he answered on the first ring.
“Bryn,” he said, gasping as if his life depended on me hearing whatever he had to say.
Dread suddenly overcame me. “What is it?”
“It’s Gina. Since you’re in Colorado, I need you to go to her.”
“Gina? Our Gina?”
“Our Gina, yes.”
I shook my head. “What’s wrong with her?” The last I’d heard, she was a swim coach and was training girls to compete in the Olympics.
“Damn it,” he said under his breath. “I have to go, but I’ll text you the address. Thank you, Bryn. Thank you.” He hung up, leaving me with my mouth caught open, listening to silence.
Nineteen
BRYN BLACKSTONE
Speaking to Asher had officially marked the end of relaxation mode. With one call, I was back to moving fast and being pressed for time. I showered, blow-dried my hair, and dressed warmly, since I wasn’t going straight to California, where it was eighty degrees that day. While packing for my weekend with the family, I scarfed down the most delicious roasted vegetable omelet I’d ever tasted. I expected to find Gina in good condition though. She often practiced getting Asher all worked up just to prove to herself that he still cared about her. I used to resent her for that, but as I matured, I understood why she did it and, in turn, developed a lot of empathy for her. She needed to know that Asher still loved her, especially since he’d gotten married.
While being driven to the airport by one of the hired cars that came with the estate, I called the BFE travel department and asked if my flight to California could go to Denver first. The coordinator put me on hold and, after about three minutes, let me know that my flight and grounded services in both cities had already been changed.
“Already been made?” I asked.
“Yes, Miss Blackstone.”
“By who?”
“The arrangements have been made by Angela Williams.”
“Jasper’s assistant?”
“Yes, Miss Blackstone.”
I grunted thoughtfully. If Jasper was involved, then something really could be wrong with Gina. When I considered that, I was more worried than I’d been before. But then, maybe still, things weren’t so bad. I would have to wait and see.
The car stopped near the airplane’s ramp, and all I had to do was climb up while the driver handled my bags. The stewardess served me a cup of coffee, and not long after I settled into my seat, we were up, up, and away. When I closed my eyes and focused on relaxing and the fun weekend I would have with Jada and the kids, I smiled, realizing I hadn't thought about Jamison since before bed the previous night. I wanted to stay with that trend of not giving him a second thought, so I focused on Gina.
Months before, I’d debated whether it was appropriate to invite Gina to Asher’s wedding. My brother was an expert at being mindfully ignorant of the realities he didn’t want to deal with. Here was the truth: Gina had always loved Asher more than Spencer. Asher would debate me on that point, but I knew it for a fact. Asher was her safe place. He was the one who’d found her wounded. She’d been so used and abused by Randolph that she hadn’t been able to escape the secret tunnels in the former Blackstone family mansion. Asher had found her and cared for her as if she were a wounded animal. He loved her, too, but not in the passionate and fiery way that he loved Pen, his wife. He’d craved Gina that way once upon a time, though, when they were teenagers, and they’d acted on their new sexual attraction for each other. I had no idea if it was because she was having sex with Spencer, too, or because Randolph was still pimping her out to his wealthiest associates every now and then, but the feelings of romantic love Asher had held for Gina gradually diminished. However, I’d still invited Gina to the wedding. I put her name on the guest list so that she could receive a paper invitation, but I phoned her as well. Gina didn’t answer and never returned my call. She didn’t RSVP either. Regardless, I held a spot for her just in case she found the strength to support Asher on his big day. She never came.
I’d been so busy after the ceremony, what with running into Jamison, losing my phone, and then losing Jamison again, that I hadn’t called to check up on her. Frankly, I was used to Gina not taking most of my calls. On the rare occasion that she did answer, her tone was usually brisk, and she would try to end the call as soon as possible.
But our relationship had always been complicated. Growing up, I’d simultaneously hated her and loved her. She was the other Blackstone sister, and like most young people, we had our sibling rivalry. Regrettably, I believed I was better than her. I didn't know any better. The truth was, we were both victims tethered to one man, Randolph Blackstone. After many stints in rehab and then finally finding the right therapist, I was able to forgive myself for looking down on Gina, and I asked her for forgiveness. That was two years ago.
