Happily Ever Now (Boundless Love Book 2) (2 page)

‘It’s their job sweetheart. I hired them to do the cleaning. No one is forcing them to do it and it’s not like I’m asking them to do it for free.’

‘I know.’ She started for the living-room and he followed. ‘It just feels strange that’s all.’

‘You’re going to have to get used to it honey. This is your life now.’

She nodded. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to do that, but she would try.

‘I’ve got something to give you.’

‘No more surprises.’ She fell into the couch. ‘You’re overwhelming me.’

‘Just one more my love!’ He sat down beside her.

He pulled out a black card from his back pocket and handed it to her.

‘What’s this for?’

‘It’s yours to do as you please.’

‘I can’t.’ She handed it back.

‘Why not?’

‘Because I have my own money.’ She felt a little defensive.

‘I know that, and I respect that. I just wanted you to have a little extra.’

‘You think I don’t have enough?’

‘No, that’s not what I’m saying. I just want you to want for nothing.’

She looked him in the eye. She wasn’t sure if it was exhaustion or if it really frustrated her.

‘I want for nothing already. I have my health. I want for nothing. I don’t care about all the money!’

‘That’s a perfect reason for you to have it.’ He opened her hand and placed the card in her palm. ‘You don’t care about the money, and that’s the secret. That detachment to it is what makes you so deserving of it.’

She watched him a moment, with a crease in the centre of her forehead.

‘You taught me a lot about living in the moment. About what is important. If money isn’t that important, then you have every reason to have it.’

‘I never said it’s not important, I just don’t want the excess of it. I want for nothing.’

‘And that’s great. There is five million pounds on that card. Do with it as you please. It’s yours and I don’t want it back.’

She sat back stunned. ‘Why would you give me five million pounds?’

‘Because I can. It’s just money, remember.’

This time she laughed. There was no denying him, he wanted what he wanted and she was beginning to learn that very quickly.

‘What’s so funny?’

‘You,’ she said.

‘Why?’

‘You’re so freaking stubborn.’

‘It takes one to know one.’

She shook her head, a curl on her lips.

‘Cut to card up if you want, but it’s still yours.’

‘Fine.’ She accepted it. ‘I’ll have it.’

‘Now that’s what I like to hear. Now about our wedding, would you like to set the date?’

‘Not today. Maybe tomorrow when all has calmed down and things have gone back to normal.’

‘Okay, tomorrow it is. I will be as involved as you want me to be. I want it to be your day.’

‘So if I say I want you at the tailors at a moments notice, you’ll be there.’

‘You mean if you want the tailor to come to me, I’ll be available.’

She tapped him on his shoulder playfully. ‘You know what I mean.’

‘Absolutely, you’re the boss!’

They leaned into the couch and began to relax.

‘I’m happy,’ she said.

‘Me too.’ He held out his hand.

Sahara placed it in his and he gave it a little squeeze.

An hour later, the cleaners arrived to sort out the house. It made her feel a little uncomfortable, but worse things could have happened. It was her life now and she had to own it!

Chapter Two

‘Congratulations!’ Alice said as she walked into the shop.

Sahara had already started on the day’s orders.

‘Thank you!’

‘Sorry I couldn’t make it to the surprise party, I had other commitments.’

‘That’s okay, I didn’t know about it myself.’

‘That man of yours has all sorts of things up his sleeve.’

‘You can say that again. The more I think I know him, the more I realise I don’t. But not in a bad way, he’s better than I ever imagined.’

Alice pulled off her coat, stepped over to the front desk and looked at the diary.

‘Looks like we have another busy day.’

‘Yes, I’m glad, it keeps my mind occupied.’ She thought about the night before.

‘Let’s see the ring then.’ Alice couldn’t resist.

Sahara held out her hand, a wet leaf stuck to the base of it.

‘Isn’t it gorgeous?’

‘I know, I don’t know what to make of all this. I feel as if I’m in a bubble. I’ve gone from one extreme to another.’

Alice eyed her for a moment. ‘Something’s bothering you, isn’t it?’

Sahara sucked in a deep breath. ‘A little.’

‘Whatever it is, I’m here if you want to talk about it.’

Sahara wanted to talk about it. She’d wanted to talk about it to her best-friend, but she knew that Emily would think she was worrying over nothing.

‘It’s the money.’ She began as she snipped off the stem of a rose.

‘What money?’ Alice tied the apron around her and started to work.

‘The man is loaded. I mean, I’m not talking rich, I mean mega rich!’

‘And this is a problem how?’

‘I don’t want to be taken care of. I want to take care of myself.’

‘And you are, no one can take that away from you.’

‘But I feel like it has been taken away from me. Yesterday he handed me a black bank card, with a crazy amount on it.’

‘Well, I think that’s wonderful.’

Alice was a positive woman, when she fought cancer, she found solace in Buddhism and has always been a woman of calm.

‘How so, he practically forced me to take it, even though I didn’t want it.’

Alice smiled. She took time to smell the lily in her hand, and then looked up at Sahara.

‘You and I both know no one can force you to do anything.’

‘I know, but I just feel like it was forced upon me.’

‘You feel that way because you believe that. You’ve spent a great deal of your life fighting a disease. You felt as though you had to control everything, when in reality we control nothing.’ She started to make the arrangement.

Alice had a calm and peaceful spirit that always managed to calm Sahara.

‘I know that, but sometimes I think that by allowing someone into my life, I’m scared I’m going to loose myself.’

‘It’s not possible. Nothing and no one can define you, it doesn’t matter what another person does or doesn’t do. Who you are never changes.’

Sahara knew she was right. She’d been through a lot to know that things outside herself were out of her control.

‘That money is a good thing. It’s in your life, you will put it to good use I’m sure. I guess it’s what you do with it, rather than the money itself. Money isn’t alive, it doesn’t mean anything, only people give it meaning. You’ve given it meaning by thinking that somehow he’ll control you. Instead, why not think of it as a gift, as something that has come into your life to do some good. Enjoy it!’

Sahara stopped what she was doing and stepped over to where Alice stood.

‘Thank you for reminding me of what’s important.’ She took her into a big hug.

‘You are welcome, you would’ve done the same.’

Sahara stepped back to the arrangement of flowers feeling more in control. She understood that the only reason she’d felt out of control was because she thought it. Alice was right. What she did with the money was totally under her control.

‘Have you set a date yet?’

‘Not yet, but when we do, you’ll be the first to know. I think it will be very soon. We definitely don’t want to wait. There isn’t any point.’

‘I agree. Life’s too short to make a long process of things. Each to their own.’

‘I agree. Now, let’s see if we can get these orders out.’

They worked in comfortable silence like they always did. Alice was a great work partner, and her presence always calmed Sahara. Hiring her had been the best decision Sahara had made!

****

‘Morning boss.’ Casey walked into Eugene’s office that was situated in the city centre of Leeds.

It was only one of his offices, but he’d chosen to work there as it was the closest place to him. It had shocked the workforce. Eugene wasn’t one to be around the office much, he was always flying in and out of the country to strike deals. But ever since he’d met Sahara, he’d taken a step back on that. That was what his managers were there for. It was time for him to delegate a bit more.

‘It’s good to see you in the office,’ she said.

‘Well, we both know why that is.’

‘Yes, and congratulations again! Sahara has really changed you.’

‘You can say that. I feel so alive. For the first time in my life I feel as though I’m doing the right thing.’

‘Wow, I’m impressed.’

‘Didn’t you feel that way when you met your husband?’

‘Certainly, but you and I aren’t alike. You were always the ladies man.’

‘That was because I hadn’t met Sahara. She had this magic that drew me to her. I can’t explain it.’

‘I guess that’s what they call soul mates, if you believe any of that.’

‘Maybe I do, who knows. All I know is that she’s definitely the one. I can’t stop thinking about her, which is unlike me.’

She studied him a moment. It was the oddest thing. All the time she’d worked for him, he’d never been crazy about a woman, the way he was crazy about Sahara.

‘Anyway, let’s get to work.’

‘Yes, before that, I’d like to bring something to your attention.’

He nodded.

‘It’s your cousin, Logan.’

‘What about her?’

‘Well I think she has a bit of a drinking problem.’

‘That’s an understatement.’

‘So you know about it?’

‘I try not to know about it, but I know I can’t ignore it forever. She’s the closest I have to family, and I love her so much. Acknowledging the drinking makes me feel a bit powerless.

‘Well, one of your staff members found her passed out on the back porch early this morning.’

‘Oh boy!’ He ran his hands through his hair. ‘I’ll have to talk to her.’

‘I don’t know if that will do any good.’

‘Then what am I supposed to do?’ It worried him.

‘Maybe you should just send her back home, her husband can deal with it.’

‘I can’t. I want her to be at lunch tomorrow with Sahara and I. Which reminds me, did you book somewhere?’

‘Yes, I booked a table at the Malmasion.’

‘I hope it’s not too upmarket, my wife to be has issues with too much fancy pants stuff.’

‘It should be okay.’ She giggled lightly.

‘Yep, she doesn’t like it much, but I understand where she’s coming from.’

Casey wondered if that was the pull he’d felt, the fact she was different to the majority of women he’d dated.

‘I’ll have a word with Logan, or perhaps I’ll give Christopher a ring.’

She nodded.

‘Did you ask Seth to meet me at Sahara’s tomorrow morning?’

‘I did.’

‘Great, I want to start training. I’m planning to do the Great North Run next year.’

‘Wow!’ She was truly amazed.

‘I’m running for Justin, the young man who died of a brain tumour. All the money raised will go to his charity.’

‘Why weren’t you like this when I met you? I would’ve married you!’ she joked.

He laughed. ‘I guess it’s because you weren’t the one for me.’

‘True.’

‘Anyway. What’s on the agenda today?’

She gazed at the iPad and began to tell him about the day that lay ahead. There were a number of meetings that would take up most of his day. The first one would start in thirty minutes.

‘Right, that’s great. Thanks for everything Casey, my life would be a total mess without you.’

‘I couldn’t agree more.’ She laughed as she stood up. ‘I’m really happy for you boss.’

‘Thanks, I’m happy for me too.’

She nodded, even working for him had become a lot easier. Sahara was magic!

‘I’ll go and make sure everything’s ready for the meeting.’

He nodded and watched her go. He glanced at his watch and decided to make a quick call.

The sound of her voice made the hairs on his arm stand to attention. Eugene couldn’t get enough of her.

‘Hello beautiful lady,’ he said.

‘Hey you, aren’t you supposed to be busy changing the world, making billions of dollars.’ Sahara teased.

‘I’d rather spend my day with you,’ he said gently.

‘I wish I could say the same, but I really do love being here with the flowers.’