Painful Consequences (12 page)

“What about the money?” he asked, kissing her back. “Could you be happy without millions in the bank?”

“I have ten bucks to my name and have never been happier. Look at my dad. One of the wealthiest men in Beverly Hills, and he still is miserable. If it weren’t for my mom, he would be worse. I hate to say, but he and I are so alike that we fight all the time. I don’t want to be that way anymore. It is an ugly way to live.”

“I loathe fighting. Do you think you can show him that you have matured and are able to exercise some self-control in the face of confrontation and stress?” Reed asked, tilting her chin up to look at him. He wondered if she could hear how loudly his heart was pounding in excitement over her commitment to him. After two long months, she was finally going to be his!

“I can try,” Brittany said seriously.

Brett snorted. “Good luck with that. He will egg her on until she explodes and give him a reason to yell louder. Those two are impossible together and love to antagonize each other. If Rina chimes in…”

“I’ll tell you what,” Reed said, kissing Brittany’s forehead. “If you do your best to control your temper and how you respond, I will give you a very special reward when we get home. One that you have been asking for.”

Brittany grinned broadly, catching his hint. “Deal! Can we bring Harry? Please? He will help keep me focused.”

“Yeah. And maybe bite Dad,” Brett said. “Bring that ugly chicken. It should be good for a laugh.”

Harry tilted his head and simply meowed.

* * *

Brittany reinspected herself in the bathroom mirror as she readied for the brunch date with her parents. She was dressed in a summery, but modest, pale blue spaghetti strap sundress and matching sandals that she had purchased from a local shop with the money she had earned cleaning Reed's house. She pulled her thick, wavy hair back into a long ponytail and secured it with a dark blue polka-dotted bow. She kept her makeup light, adorning only simple pink lipstick and mascara. She was going to show her father that she didn’t have to be rich or high society to land a handsome man like Reed.

“Are you going to be in there forever?” Brett asked. “I need to shave.”

“You have your own bathroom—use it!”

“I like the mirror in yours better!”

“Go away.”

Brett laughed, peeking in the bathroom. “What are you so worried about? You look cute.”

“Not too rural?”

“Nah, just enough. Reed isn’t gonna be able to keep his hands off of you.”

“I am so glad he is coming. I feel safer with him around,” Brittany said, pushing past Brett’s broad body.

“Anybody home?” a voice bellowed from downstairs.

“Up here trying to get Cinderella to stop admiring herself,” Brett called down.

“I didn’t get dressed up. I thought… Wow…” Reed said as Brittany showed herself at the top of the stairs.

“Do I look okay?” she asked.

“You are stunning. I brought you something. It’s my thirty-day sobriety token. I drilled a hole and put it on a chain for you. I know it’s not the prettiest of jewelry but…”

“Oh, Reed! You have no idea how much this means to me! Thank you!” Brittany flung herself into his arms and kissed him generously. She pulled back and slipped the chain over her head. The cold medallion rested between her breasts, and she touched it. “It will be a source of strength for me. I will take good care of it.”

“You better. I know where you live and,” he patted her full, round backside, “how to get you to cooperate.”

“You need to keep your hands off my backside, mister,” she scolded half-heartedly.

“But it is such a lovely backside, and I like how it feels.”

“Well, I like how it feels when you aren't playing it like a drum, so stop it. Ow!” Brittany yipped as he swatted her playfully. She kept her back away from the two men to protect herself as she approached the car, not trusting their present moods or how it would affect her bottom. Harry started squawking as she slid into the back seat with him.

“What the hell!” Brett exclaimed as Brittany busted into hilarious laughter. The bird pouted, ruffling his feathers. Reed had dressed the poor thing in a birdy-sailor suit, including ‘ducky diapers’ that protected the environment from accidents.

“This is classic,” Brittany hooted. “He even has a little sailor cap! Harry, you are gonna be my date today! Forget about the boys!”

Harry ceased his ruffling and began to bob his head, showing Brittany how he could put his own cap on and then began to whistle
Over the Rainbow.
Reed just shrugged, commenting about the damn piece of poultry being ‘confused’, and that he thought the little costume would be a good way to break the ice. While Harry served to keep Brittany distracted during the drive to her parents’ home in Beverly Hills, Reed felt as though it was the longest hour of his life. His hands began to sweat as he drove into the long circular driveway of the white, pillared mansion surrounded by manicured shrubs and dotted with marble sculptures and fountains. A uniformed man stepped forward to take the keys from Reed and greeted Master Brett and Miss Brittany with a slight bow.

“It’s been a while, Charlie! Have you gotten laid yet?” Brett asked, watching the young man blush profusely.

“Leave him alone. Hi, Charles. It’s good to see you again. This is Reed. He is…”

“Her boyfriend. Oh, don’t give me that look, you two. We all know what’s up, so stop pretending to be innocent. Let’s get inside and see what joy awaits us,” Brett interrupted. Reed reached out for Brittany’s hand, smiling as Harry scurried up his arm to sit on his shoulder. As they walked through the massive front doors, Brittany squeezed Reed’s fingers tightly, suddenly uncomfortable in her childhood home. It seemed so cold and foreign to her now. Everything was stark white, with hints of sage green and kohl black splattered about. The house had no emotion, she realized. It gave off the perfect appearance, one of money and power, but it lacked love and warmth. No wonder her mother spent so much time outdoors and in the garden!

A man holding a tray of champagne stood at the entryway, his offer of beverages refused by all three.

“It seems like it’s going to be the formal treatment today,” Brett whispered to his sister, “They know I don’t drink. If this gets to be too much, use the code word.”

“Code word?” Reed asked.

“Yeah,
dipstick
.”

“Why…”

“Don’t ask. Just use it if you need to and we are out of this place,” Brett promised. “I am willing to bet that both of you will be throwing it around within fifteen minutes.”

“My babies!” Helena screeched from the outside patio as she saw her children and the tall stranger being escorted through the large sitting room by one of the servants. “I missed you! And you must be Reed! Welcome to our home!” She hugged him tightly, kissing both his cheeks. Brett gave her a quick hug and was pushed aside by Brittany, who held her mother tightly.

“Thank you, Mrs. Wallace. This is Harry. He is Brittany’s guard bird. Be careful, he…”

“Purrs like a kitten! How lovely you are, Harry,” Helena cooed, stroking the animal and receiving the same reaction from him as he gave Brittany. Reed decided that Helena Wallace was someone he would like to know. And she was still beautiful in her early sixties.

“Feed me!” Harry demanding before he began to meow.

“Where is Dad?” Brett asked cautiously.

“He had to run to the office for something,” Helena sighed. “You know how he is.”

“Always about work and avoidance. Yeah, I know. Will he be back?” Brett questioned with annoyance.

“Absolutely. He was informed by yours truly that if he didn’t return by 11:30, he would be sleeping on the guest sofa for the rest of the year.”

“He hates that sofa, Mom… Oh…”

“Some men can be a little slow, darling,” Helena said to her daughter, kissing both her smooth cheeks, “but it does not mean they are not worth the effort. How are you? You look radiant.”

“I’m doing well, Mama. Thanks to Brett and Reed. This change has been good for me in so many ways.”

“I’ve been so worried. Brett asked me not to call you until you were ready to talk to us. I know we hurt you, but…”

“It was the best and the most loving thing you could have done for me. Thank you. I met Reed because of Daddy’s actions, and I will never regret that.”

“You must be one special young man,” Helena looked at Reed with knowing eyes. “I can imagine a rocky beginning with you two, given the circumstances.”

“Well worth it, Mrs. Wallace. I…”

“Where is she?” Carmen Wallace’s voice vibrated through the house.

“Guess who is back,” Helena sighed. “We are outside, darling!”

Reed stood with Brittany as Carmen’s large body barged through the French doors. One look at her father’s face sent Brittany rushing into his arms, sobbing her apologies and thanking him for being so unbending when it came to forcing her to leave. The older man held the tiny girl against his massive chest, kissed the top of her head, and tried his hardest not to add his own tears to the mix. Reed looked down as Helena squeezed his hand.

“She’s going to be fine. Carmen is all bark.”

“Britt is one special lady, Mrs. Wallace. I hope he will learn to see that.”

“Sometimes it take losing something before you can really appreciate its value,” Helena smiled, watching her husband and daughter embrace as they talked privately. “He has never really experienced this type of pain before, and I think he needed to in order to realize how good he has it. Even when she had her accident, he thought he could buy his way out of repercussions by having the best doctors available. He has been talking about that terrible time these last couple of months, beating himself up for not paying more attention to her and appreciating her being with us. He has started to blame himself for all of this, and to be honest, I think that is a good direction for him.”

“He is not responsible for her choices, only his own. But I am glad that they both are viewing life differently. Thank you for inviting me here. I needed to see that forgiveness and reconciliation still exist in this world,” Reed said sadly. After a little probing by the persistent older woman, he shared the pain of his recent loss with her.

“My darling boy,” Helena kissed his cheek. “You will always have a home and a family here. Let us love you, okay?”

Reed just smiled and nodded, watching Carmen spin Brittany around in the air like she was five-years-old again. The sound of her joyous laughter warmed his heart like nothing ever had before.

* * *

Stephen arrived shortly afterwards, apologizing for Rina’s absence and stating she was in bed with a ‘sick headache’. Brittany bit her lip, looking at the ground.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Steph. I wanted to have a chance to apologize to her for how I have acted. Maybe some other time, when she feels better,” she said graciously.

“This is bullshit, boy. You know damn well there is nothing wrong with that woman except she is a money hungry snob! I warned you about her the day you brought her home that getting one of those trophy wives would bring you nothing but heartache. No one listens to me,” Carmen growled, pulling his daughter protectively to his chest. “You tell her to get her lazy ass out of bed and come over here this instant. Like it or not, she is part of this family, and I will not have her treating your sister like this.”

“Dad…”

“Do it!” Carmen ordered, watching his eldest son flinch.

“Daddy, if Rina isn’t ready for me, you can’t make her take that step,” Brittany said softly, “It’s okay. She has good reason to not like or trust me. I do know how she feels, too. If it weren't for Reed, I would have been trying to be the same way she is, for the same reasons. She just needs to see that there is more to life than her appearance and prestige. Right?” she directed the question at Reed. His eyes sparkled with approval.

“That is what happens when you marry for looks…” Carmen grumbled.

Brittany interrupted, seeing her elder brother's discomfort. “Daddy, don't pick on Stephen. Can't you see he is already hurting?” She turned again to her brother
.
“How are the kids? Maybe you can bring them by sometime? I know Rina thinks I am a bad example, but I promise I would never do anything to hurt them.”

“She doesn’t think… okay, yeah, she does,” Stephen sighed, taking a long drink from his wine glass. He frowned, tasting fruit punch. His mother winked. “Honestly, she has become nothing but impossible to be around. If it weren’t for the kids, I would have asked for a divorce. She doesn't even let me hang with them. She seems to think I will influence them against her, even though I have never said anything negative to them about her.”

“I suspect she is aware of her, uh, issues, son,” Helena said softly. “She is an unhappy woman and will push people away to keep them from telling her what she already knows about herself.”

“Why would she do that? It doesn't make sense.”

“Because, dude,” Brett punched his brother's arm, “it would then require her to do something about it. Just like our telling you about what we see in your marriage now makes you responsible to either step up or shut up.”

“Daddy? Reed? Do you two mind if I take Steph on a little walk? I want to talk with him about something personal.”

“Go for it, angel. Reed, get your ass over here and show me if you have the balls to beat me at a game of pool.”

“I have the balls, Mr. Wallace. I just hope you don’t mind losing. I would hate to see a grown man like you cry,” Reed commented with a boyish grin, earning a playful swat upside the head.

Helena watched the two depart in one direction, while the other two headed down into the gardens. She turned to Brett.

“I like Reed. Does he have any idea how deeply in love with your sister he is?”

“I think he is figuring that out. He’s good people, Mom. And Dad seems to like him as well. Thanks for letting us come by. This is the first gathering I remember where no one has begun a boxing match.”

“It is about time! Listen to your father laugh. I almost forgot what that sounded like. I think he is going to be making some changes in his life now that he is getting his priorities straight. Why are you Wallace men so stubborn?” Helena asked mischievously,