STELLA LLOYD’S SINGLE-FAMILY HOME in southern Maryland was modest by every Lloyd brother’s standards. She used to live in Houston, but had decided to move back to her hometown after her husband’s death.
Her garden was vivid green and healthy. Everyone in the family always made mental notes to look for things to compliment—it was her pride and joy. They also used it to gauge her overall mood. As he walked up to the house, Gavin noticed a small yellow rosebush on one side and frowned. His mother had once had several in the garden, but had ripped them out when Jacob and Catherine announced their engagement.
Stella waved through the living room window and gestured for him to come in. He walked into the house. Its hardwood floor gleamed with a fresh coat of wax. One of the ceiling fans was spinning, creating a soft breeze, and three well-worn couches and love seats surrounded an oak coffee table.
She came out of the kitchen with two tall glasses of iced tea. A little more gray glinted in her long dark hair, which was twisted into a simple updo. She wore a pair of pretty gold earrings and a turquoise necklace that matched her simple shin-length dress.
They sat down, and she handed him a glass. “Extra sweet, just for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Coffee was best taken black, but he preferred his tea almost syrupy with sugar.
“So how are things? Is it true you’re divorcing Amandine?”
He choked and coughed to clear the tea from the wrong tract. “What?”
“It’s on Facebook.”
How in the world…? “Facebook? You barely know how to operate your TV.”
“Eric showed me on his…flat thing.”
Traitor. Gavin made a mental note never to buy a tablet or any other fancy toy for his nephew again. “We’re not divorcing.” He hesitated. Neither Amandine nor he had mentioned anything to Stella so that she wouldn’t be upset, but frankly, he no longer wanted to operate with the expectation that his marriage would fall apart. “Amandine is pregnant.”
Stella’s face brightened. “My goodness. Well, that’s fabulous! Congratulations!”
“If you talked with Uncle Tony, and not just your nosy grandson, you would’ve known we just had our second honeymoon.”
“He’s too busy playing with his new boat to talk. Anyway, I’m glad to hear that. Another baby! They’re so precious.”
Gavin’s insides warmed at his mother’s pleasure. She deserved some good news after suffering the scandal of Jacob’s bigamy.
“You think Amandine can visit before she starts showing?”
“She can’t fly. Doctor’s orders.”
Stella’s face clouded. “Is she all right?”
“Nothing to worry about. Just no airplanes.”
She nodded. “Good. So does this mean you’re cutting back?”
“For a while, yes.”
“You’re going to go back to working like you have been?”
“I can’t cut back forever.”
“For heaven’s sake. You can’t continue to slave your life away at the firm. Besides, what about your child? You’ll have to go to recitals, soccer games… Children take time, even if you have nannies.”
He frowned. He hadn’t thought about that at all.
Stella sighed. “You were planning to go on like you always have, weren’t you?”
“Er…sort of.”
“I didn’t say anything when you got married. I thought… Well, Amandine’s an adult, and she can understand how work can come first. But children won’t, and it’ll wear her out, making excuses for you to the child.”
“But if I don’t work, how am I going to make money? How am I going to provide for my family?”
Stella gaped at him, then snapped her mouth closed. “Gavin Emmanuel Lloyd!”
Uh oh . His mother hadn’t used his full name since he’d turned sixteen.
“I always thought you were one of the smartest kids I knew, but obviously I was wrong. Have you checked your bank account recently?”
“Well, yes.”
“You have over twenty billion dollars according to Forbes . And you’re talking like you have to work to make the month’s rent!” She put down her iced tea and huffed. “I wasn’t going to pry about the photos, especially with you telling me you had a second honeymoon. But you cannot continue to act like you’re single. You can’t work your life away. What will you do with another twenty billion that you can’t with the money you already have? Is it worth missing out on the pleasure of spending time with your wife and child?”
The questions shocked him. His drive had always been all about making more money, becoming ever more successful. Climbing the ladder.
To show that he wasn’t some loser to be tossed away. That he was “more.”
“You hired additional staff for her, didn’t you? She needed somebody, but you couldn’t be there, right?”
He nodded.
“Gavin, Amandine doesn’t want more strangers in her home. She’s not like Catherine. And yes,” she continued in a different tone, “I know Catherine played you and Jacob off against each other. I’m not happy with her, though I don’t think she deserved what she got either.”
She knows…? This was quickly becoming surreal.
She sighed. “In any case, Amandine’s a homebody, an introvert. She just wants peace and solitude in her house.”
“But she’s always been great at dinners and parties…” Amandine had never once complained about having to host an event. She’d been tired afterward, but he’d assumed it was from the prep work and late hours, not because she was an introvert working hard to be an extrovert.
“She needs something that belongs to her, and only her. Think about that.”
Gavin cursed inwardly. He’d hired more and more staff to make sure she was taken care of at all times because he couldn’t always be there for her. He’d done it to assuage his guilt. But he’d never asked himself if that was what would make Amandine happy. Damn it. How could he have been so blind?
“Anyway enough of that.” Stella smoothed her dress. “I’m sure you didn’t come on a workday for marital advice. What’s going on?”
“It can wait,” Gavin said, still trying to process everything. “Let’s have some lunch first.”
He took her to a nearby restaurant where they had a meal focused around New England seafood. As the waiter was clearing the dessert dishes, he said, “I need your help.”
“Tell me.”
He told her about the huge trust fund he’d started for the family members who depended solely on income from The Lloyds Development. Ethan had set something up as well. But they weren’t sure if everyone would take the money.
“Meredith already turned me down,” Gavin said. “I called her a few days ago, and she said to go away.” Meredith’s actual response had been more colorful, but there was no reason to repeat it verbatim.
“Hmm.” Stella’s brow creased. “I see.”
“I asked Ethan to intervene, but I’m not sure if he’s going to be any more successful. Can you help?”
“Of course,” Stella said, her voice decisive. “I’ll host a party for the family. It’s always easier to talk to people in a social setting than some formal board meeting.”
“Great. Thanks, Mom.” Then something else occurred to him. “Are we going to have it at my place or yours?”
“Ideally, mine.”
“Amandine won’t be able to come in that case.”
Stella nodded. “But I think your house would make it appear too top-down, especially with you providing a big chunk of the fund. Mine’s more neutral. If you want, we can have another party at your place to celebrate Amandine’s pregnancy. Then later we girls can plan a baby shower for her. I’m sure Meredith would be thrilled to organize it.”
Gavin nodded. She made perfect sense, and she was correct about Meredith. His sister would love to organize something for Amandine. “I knew you’d have a solution.”
“I always do.” Stella smiled radiantly. “Now, take me home and go make your wife happy.”
* * *
Wrapped in a warm white robe, Amandine lay bonelessly on her bed. On the other side was Brooke, in a matching robe and just as limp.
The masseuses had magic hands. Amandine couldn’t remember the last time she had been this relaxed.
“We should book massages for you every week,” Brooke mumbled, her eyes closed.
“Mm hmm.” She had never bothered before because of her frugal habits. But maybe she shouldn’t cling to her old ways. It wasn’t like Gavin would miss the money.
Luna walked in. “Amandine… Your cousin’s here.”
Amandine jerked around, the relaxed euphoria instantly evaporating. “Catherine?”
“Yes. Would you like to see her?”
What did her cousin want? Had she somehow found out that Amandine had tried to visit? “Um…sure. Yes, that’s fine.”
“Will she be joining you for dinner?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
Amandine had just enough time to sit up and pull her robe together before Catherine strolled in like the queen of the world. An expensively tailored black and red silk dress fit her like a glove, and the air around her smelled like old money and impeccable breeding. Her dark hair curled and bounced about her slender neck and shoulders in artful layers. Careful makeup enlarged her eyes, and pale coral lip-gloss coated her lips. She didn’t look anything like a wronged, heart-broken wife.
Self-conscious, Amandine tugged at her robe. Her face was free of makeup, and her hair was brushed but left unstyled. Forced to choose, people would probably have mistaken her for the heart-broken one.
“Hi, Brooke. Would you mind giving us some time alone?” Catherine said.
Brooke glanced at Amandine, who nodded. She gestured to the masseuses and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
When they were in private, Catherine sat down on the edge of the bed, smoothing her dress just so. The silk settled properly to accentuate the stunning lines of her body. “I came by to give you this.” She handed Amandine a wedding band. “Gavin forgot it at my place. I didn’t see it until a few days ago.”
“Thank you.” She took it and rolled it between her forefinger and thumb. “Why didn’t you give it to him?”
“I tried, but according to Hilary he’s up in Maryland.” Catherine studied Amandine. “Are you really going to leave him?”
“What?”
“I saw the photos. Ceinlys does take some good shots.”
Amandine searched Catherine’s expression for a clue about what she was thinking. Coming in person to return the ring wasn’t strictly necessary. FedEx would’ve been more than happy to do the honors.
Catherine took a steadying breath. “If you’re serious about it, the wedding band would strengthen your bargaining position.”
“It…would? How?”
“Think about it. He left it at an ex-girlfriend’s place after finding out that she wasn’t married anymore. Not just any ex, but one he almost married.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I feel responsible. If it hadn’t been for my bad judgment, you wouldn’t have married Gavin…or him you.”
Amandine looked away. Catherine knew as well as she did that Gavin had married on impulse—a rebound.
“Amandine, you’ve been with Gavin for more than three years now, but men aren’t your strong suit, and I don’t think you understand him very well. He has a very forceful personality, and he’s stubborn.”
“Uh…” It took a real effort not to laugh. “I think I know that.”
“Yes, but what it means for you is, if you don’t make it clear what you want from him, you’re never going to get it,” Catherine said.
“What I want…?”
“That’s right. You do know, don’t you?”
Did Amandine know what she wanted—no, needed—from Gavin? And how hard it was to talk about it? She longed for Gavin to give it to her of his own volition, not because it’d save their marriage or he could avoid personal defeat.
“If you don’t tell him, expect him to use you. That’s why he wanted to marry me in the first place.”
“To use you? No offense, but I thought it was more the other way around.”
Catherine laughed. “Oh, Amandine. Just be careful you don’t get screwed in your divorce settlement.”
“‘Screwed?’ Gavin’s worth twenty billion dollars. Even one percent of that would set me for life.”
“You think so now, but don’t forget how much it’s going to take to maintain the lifestyle you’ve become accustomed to. Do you know how much it costs to have a private jet or a fully staffed household?”
“I have no idea.” It was something Gavin always took care of. “But I’m fine with going back to the way I was before.
“You should squeeze every penny out of him. That may be the only thing you have left to show at the end of the day.”
Amandine’s throat was dry. “Gavin and I are working on a reconciliation.”
“You need a man who’ll be there for you,” Catherine went on, “not foist you off on other people while he does his own thing. If you stay married in that kind of a relationship, money or no, you’ll spend your life wondering why you feel more alone than you did when you were single.” Her gaze took on a faraway look. “You need a man who’ll love you more than you love him. That’s the only way you’ll be okay in a marriage. If not… Well, you’re gambling with your life. It’s not like we’re capable of providing for ourselves, you and I.” She gestured at the room. “Not like this.”
“Gavin and I are having a baby.” Amandine put a protective hand over her belly. “I’m sure we’ll work things out.” So if you’ve come here to encourage me to leave him so you can scoop him up , just go . Just go .
Catherine flinched. “Well, congratulations. But you think a baby will keep you together? Save your marriage?” She shook her head. “Maybe for a while. But one day, the baby will grow up and leave the nest. And then what will sustain the marriage? What’s going to bind you and Gavin together?”
A tremor ran through Amandine. She wanted to hate her cousin, shut her up, but she couldn’t. Catherine was voicing every one of her fears, and it made them seem much more real, not just some phantom in Amandine’s mind. Her heart thumped. “Do you want Gavin back?” Her voice came out hoarse and harsh, but she had to know. “The way you did with the necklace? Is that why you’re here?”
Catherine winced. “You still haven’t forgiven me for that?”
“Of course I forgave you. But—”
“I was stupid. I didn’t care about anything except being accepted. One of the girls thought I should do it.”
“Miss ‘What Catherine giveth Catherine taketh away’?”
“Yes. Madison. I thought she was a friend until Daddy lost everything. She turned against me the minute she heard the family wasn’t doing well.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I’m a bad judge of character. It’s one of those things that’s hard to learn about yourself. So yes, I worry about the fact that you married my ex. And no, I don’t want him back. I just don’t want to see you living a life you’ll regret.” Catherine grew sober. “And I feel bad that I let petty jealousy ruin the friendship we could’ve had.”
“Jealousy? Over what?”
“You, Amandine. You. You’re just so beautiful and talented.”
“Me? ”
“The sad thing is, you have no idea how lovely you are.”
Amandine found herself speechless. Catherine reached over and patted the hand that held Gavin’s ring.
“Just remember: if you don’t value yourself, if you don’t consider yourself precious, nobody else will either.”
* * *
Gavin put his tablet away and sat back into the Bentley’s leather upholstery, thinking about the instructions he’d just sent to Hilary to start drafting a letter to let clients know he would be cutting back. He’d still manage the funds for the family to replace the income lost from The Lloyds Development, but almost everything else would be delegated to others at the firm. If the clients didn’t feel comfortable, they were welcome to cash out. This way Gavin could pull back and spend more time with his wife. If the family’s funds still proved to take up too much of his time, he’d have Pete co-manage them.
Gavin should have been heading to the office—there were a few things he needed to do before calling it a day—but he wouldn’t be able to focus unless he saw Amandine first. Was his mother right about what Amandine needed? He’d thought she was happy with their home and the new studio and other amenities, but what did he really know? When things settled down at work, they should talk about downsizing. Getting rid of a few staff even.
Thomas stopped at the main entrance. There was an unfamiliar car in the drive—not unusual, but this was a Miata, and had rental tags. Gavin climbed out of the Bentley and was halfway to the front door when it opened and Catherine stepped out.
What the hell? “Catherine.”
She gave him a cool smile. “Gavin.” The moneyed diction was back. Apparently she’d pulled herself together since his visit.
“What are you doing here? You didn’t say you were coming.”
“Do I need to make an appointment to see my cousin? I wanted to return your ring.” Her gaze dropped to his hand. “I see you’ve replaced it.”
“You could’ve mailed it.”
“But then I wouldn’t have been able to see Amandine. Looks as if she’s divorcing you. Or is it the other way around? Well, whichever… I thought she might need some moral support.”
The muscles around his neck tightened. “Moral support?”
“Oh, nothing important. Just girl talk.”
Catherine started to walk past, and he gripped her arm. “Like what?”
“Ask your wife.”
“I’m asking you.”
Catherine yanked her arm, but he merely tightened his hold. Amandine’s no flashed in his mind. What did Catherine know? Had she come to poison his marriage?
“All right.” Her face twisted. “If you must know, she was curious as to whether I wanted you back, since Jacob seems never to have been my husband.”
The bigamy must have unhinged her . “I don’t want you back.”
An unpleasant chuckle trickled from her throat. “Assuming I would take you. You’re good enough in bed, but I never wanted you as a spouse. And I wouldn’t want you now, even though you seem to have been amazingly lucky with your financial roulette. You don’t know how to make anybody happy but yourself.” She pulled away again; this time he let go. She crossed her arms. “I’ve had some time to think things through, look back on my life. And I see how many bad choices I’ve made. Jacob is a total jackass, but at least he wasn’t as horrible as you. You wanted me for a trophy, some kind of proof that you’d ‘made it.’ That you were someone special, better than everyone else. I didn’t matter to you as a human being. Well, that was one mistake I didn’t make, but then I chose Jacob. I should’ve known better. Same blood, after all.”
Shock and fury burned through him. “Are you finished?” he asked between clenched teeth.
“As it happens, I’m not. Your entire family has been awful to me. I realized your mother hated me the moment she uprooted all the yellow roses in her garden after learning that they were my favorite. Ethan’s always treated me with a cold politeness that’s practically disdain. And sweet little Meredith can barely be bothered to return a phone call.
“My only regret is that I let men ruin what friendship I had with Amandine. I wasn’t the nicest person to her, but I didn’t have to let things get this awkward and uncomfortable. However, that’s my issue to deal with. No need to concern yourself.”
She walked off, looking like a goddess in the late afternoon sun, climbed into the Miata and drove away.
