Earthbound Angels Part 1 (10 page)

“Grace has something very special waiting for us tonight,” Hollianne said as she got to her feet. “I’ve been banned from the kitchen all day, but that didn’t stop these absolutely mouthwatering aromas from wafting out of there.”

They all headed to the formal dining room where fine china adorned the table as well as many lighted candles. It was all quite beautiful. Covered dishes lined the middle of the table that held the food that constituted dinner.

And Hollianne was right. The aromas were incredible.

As they sat down and filled their plates, there was plenty of conversation revolving around the food that Grace had obviously spent quite a long time preparing. There was a beef roast cooked to perfection along with au jus, mashed potatoes, vegetable medley, fresh baked bread and butter, and salad with a vinaigrette dressing. They all began eating immediately.

Hollianne skillfully directed the dinner conversation to the wedding.

She managed to work in that Simon and Dreama would be paired as the Best Man and the Maid-of-Honor. Both she and Dreama were both surreptitiously watching to see what Simon’s reaction would be to that piece of news. Even though Holli had informed both of them separately of this plan, Dreama wanted to see Simon’s face.

To their relief, Simon’s eyes actually seemed to light up briefly. This caused Holli to give Dreama an “I told you so” look along with a smug little smile. Dreama couldn’t help but smile back. There was a little feeling of warmth building within and she was starting to feel a flickering of hope for the two of them.

Maybe Raven wouldn’t be able to ruin this for her after all.

After dinner, they told Grace that they would have dessert in the study. This was one of the most beautiful rooms in the entire place. It had a floor-to-ceiling window that made up the back wall overlooking the garden and everyone that ever saw this room felt a peacefulness and serenity that wasn’t easy to acquire.

At night, there were small twinkling lights that adorned the garden. These lights strongly resembled the stars in the sky. She had heard Erick told Simon that he loved the garden at night because he was reminded of their heavenly home. So she surmised that Erick and Simon must have grown up in a lovely, vast place, away from the city, where the view of the stars would not be hampered by heavy smog at night. It must also be the reason why he and Simon were such good friends, because they had grown up in the same place.

As they continued to discuss wedding plans, Simon and Dreama had started exchanging discreet looks between them. Even though they were quite discreet, they did not go unnoticed by both Hollianne and Erick. In fact, these two were exchanging some looks of their own as Hollianne’s matchmaking tendencies kicked into overdrive.

Erick knew what she was thinking and smiled indulgently. He knew it was a waste of time to ask her to let nature take its course. Many times, Hollianne professed to be nature’s best friend, and there was no stopping her once she was on a mission to help two people get together.

THEY WERE ALL having a wonderful conversation about inconsequential things, really, when Dreama’s cell phone rang. Glancing down, she saw that it was the hospital.

“I’m so sorry, but I must take this,” she said as she stood up and quickly stepped out into the hallway.

While Dreama was taking her call, Hollianne looked at Simon with a somewhat mischievous look on her face.

“So Simon,” she began. “When are you going to ask Dreama out on a real date?”

“Now, Holli,” Erick said. “Please don’t make Simon uncomfortable, or he will stop agreeing to come visit us.”

Simon laughed at the two of them. “I appreciate you trying to run interference for me, Brother,” he said. “But this is one time that Holli has it right. I have been thinking all night of how I can ask her out before she leaves here.”

“Wonderful!” Holli cried with no small measure of glee in her voice. “It’s not that hard, Simon. Just ask her. I know she’ll say yes!”

“You do, eh? Now, just how are you so positive that she will say yes?”

“I…uh…I just know,” Holli said. “I can’t give away all of my secrets, you know. But I can tell you that you won’t regret it if you do ask her.”

Dreama suddenly hurried back into the room. “I’m so sorry, but I’m going to have to leave. That was the hospital. Apparently, my new patient is awake and causing quite a ruckus. I need to get there as soon as possible.”

“Oh, Dreama,” Holli exclaimed. “I wish you didn’t have to go but, of course, we understand. At least you got to enjoy your dinner first.”

“And a wonderful dinner it was! Thank you so much for inviting me, and I promise that we’ll get together later this week to go over more wedding plans.”

Simon saw his chance slipping away. “Dreama, let me walk you out,” he said.

“Oh, Simon, that’s not really necessary,” she said but then she caught a look from Holli. “However, that would be nice. Thank you.”

After hugging Hollianne and Erick, she and Simon headed back down the large, long hallway. Eli was waiting at the front door with her coat. Dreama never could understand how Eli knew these things. It was almost as if he was psychic at times.

Simon helped her into her coat and they walked outside to her car.

Just before he opened the car door for her to get inside, Simon turned to face Dreama.

“I know you need to leave,” he said, almost panicking as he felt his throat constricting in his nervousness. “But I wanted to ask you if you might be free some evening this week. I thought we might go out for dinner or something. If you’re really busy, maybe we can meet for a drink.” By the time he finished, he was already wincing. It wasn’t the best delivery he had ever done. What must she think?

But Dreama’s smile was brilliant as she looked up at him. “I would love that, Simon,” she said. “Let me just check my calendar and see what my schedule is like. Also, I’ve got to see how things go with my new patient, but I should at least be able to manage a drink, if nothing else.”

“Great!” Simon smiled back. “I’ll wait to hear from you.”

Opening the door for her, he stepped back as she got into the driver’s seat.

“Be careful going home,” he said. “And I really enjoyed getting to see you tonight.”

“Me, too,” Dreama said. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it,” he said just before shutting the car door.

After she started the car engine, she gave him a little wave before driving away.

Simon watched her as she drove down the long driveway until she was out of sight. He was kind of glad that she couldn’t see him now because he didn’t want her to see the huge, goofy smile that he was wearing as he returned to the house.

AFTER THE INCREDIBLE evening that Simon had spent with Dreama the night before at Erick and Hollianne’s, he was more convinced than ever that she was the woman he was meant to have.

Of course, Holli had pumped him for details when he had re-entered the house after seeing Dreama to her car. Since he knew it would do no good to try to ignore her, he confessed that he had asked Dreama out and that she had said yes. They just needed to figure out how to work it around her schedule right now, and whether that schedule would allow her time for dinner or only a drink. Either way, he was happy that she seemed interested. Holli couldn’t almost contain her excitement, telling him that if he hadn’t made his move that night she would have made sure there would be another dinner as soon as she could arrange it, to give both of them their chance.

He had also made another decision, now that Dreama had agreed to go out with him.

There was going to be no sneaking around. He was proud to be seen with Dreama and wanted the world to know that he was dating her.

Of course, he might be putting the cart before the horse here, but somehow he didn’t think so.

That’s why he had thought through the whole thing about Raven and had reached a conclusion.

Simon had decided to tackle the problem of telling Raven that she wouldn’t be his date for Erick and Hollianne’s wedding as soon as possible.

He figured that it would be simpler to do this in a very non-public venue so he had invited her over to his house for dinner that night.

KARL, EVER THE perfect chef, had created a meal using many of Raven’s favorite dishes.

When she arrived, dinner itself went well and was, of course, delicious. Karl had prepared a particularly flavorful seafood casserole with a salad and freshly baked bread as sides. For dessert, they had strawberry shortcake made with fresh, newly picked ripe strawberries and topped with homemade whipping cream.

But when he finally decided to tell her the unwelcome news, he never expected her to react quite the way she had.

Raven started screaming at the top of her lungs right in the middle of his living room. He was stunned at the bizarre tantrum before he finally realized that he had to stop her.

Standing up, he crossed the room to where Raven stood still ranting and raving and put his rather hands on her shoulders. She moved to throw herself at him but his arms were like steel.

He looked her directly in the eyes.

“Raven, stop this right now,” he calmly commanded. “You are behaving like a child. You’re only embarrassing yourself. What would your father think when he sees you like this?

Raven was momentarily struck silent. The expression on her face was a combination of outrage and anger. She had been used to getting her way and was enraged that nothing was going to plan.

She was sure that once that bitch of a sister had the opportunity to be with Simon, she would grab it with both of her greedy hands. Why did she get everything that Raven wanted? It never occurred to Raven that she only felt desperate of wanting something when she saw that Dreama wanted it, too, or that if it had been a person, that someone liked her more than Raven.

Glaring at Simon, she did at least manage to stop yelling. But Simon had heard more than enough of the words she had yelled at him in her rage.

“I cannot understand why you would think Holli had a way with this when you’re not even in the arrangements to begin with. And you don’t even
like
the woman. You have made that fact abundantly clear ever since you met her. Why do you even dislike her so much? You don’t even know her before she became Erick’s fiancée. Was it because Erick fell in love with someone like her, instead of someone like you?”

Raven looked like she had been slapped. “How dare you?”

He shrugged his shoulders “I’ve known you enough time to find this reason logical. Maybe you wanted Erick for yourself. I don’t know. But whatever reason that you’re so angry over this, you must get a grip. Do you hear me?”

Slowly, Raven nodded while still staring at Simon in complete amazement. He had never spoken to her that way. They both know that everything that he’d said was true. Raven knew for a long time that her behavior had become unwelcomed in many circles, and that it was just her father’s clout that was protecting her from the backlash. But no one had ever faced her and told her exactly how bad she was.

She wasn’t sure that she liked it, but strangely, she appreciated Simon more because of it. She had never met a man who could measure up to her. It made the possibility of losing him to Dreama more intolerable.

And therefore, unacceptable. She had to find a way to turn things around her way. This wasn’t over by a long shot. But for now, she would have to drop it.

She plastered the most pitiful expression on her face. Looking tearful helped, too. “I... I’m sorry,” she finally whispered. “I’m not sure what got into me. You’re right, of course. I was making a big deal out of something that really isn’t.”

Simon was looking at her strangely. “Good,” he said. But he still looked… unconvinced. How could he not be? This expression had never failed her before. “You must know that I don’t enjoy speaking to you that way, but it was necessary that you know the truth.”

“I still don’t know why Hollianne wouldn’t want me at the wedding,” Raven pouted.

Instead of following that thread, he asked, “What’s so wrong with her that you act this way?”

“I honestly don’t know what it is,” Raven replied. “She just grates on my nerve.”

“But that makes no sense, Raven. There has to be a reason that you don’t like her.”

“She’s just so perfect or something. No one is that sweet!”

“Maybe Hollianne is that sweet simply because all the things she’s been through had made her realize that being bitter will not change anything but make things worse for her.”

“Oh no, I don’t believe that. By acting sweet, I believe she’d set a trap for Erick!”

He actually looked disagreeable. She couldn’t understand that he could still be so ignorant after being such a smart lawyer!

“You can’t actually believe she’s not putting an act!”

“He fell in love with her, Raven, all on his own. If you know Erick as I do, you would also know that he will never fall for a trap. Hollianne is a great person, that’s it. And it’s time that you try to accept that.”

And that was when Raven realized that after all his politeness, Simon Draco hadn’t liked her at all; and that her hope that he would one day see that she was the perfect woman for him would be an almost impossible feat.

Who is it,
she seethed.
Who is the woman that he’s in love with? It is the only explanation. There is someone else, and she’s the reason why I can’t seduce him. She’s the reason why he can’t see how great we are together!

RAVEN REMAINED SULLEN and silent throughout Simon’s admonishment. He could tell that she hadn’t totally caved, but at least she had calmed down. But he had a hunch that he would not like whatever thoughts were racing through her head at the moment.